War with Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons
by texasPanzer
Summary: What if a snow goon managed to escape Calvin's ice prison that he had created to stop them? They make their own Alamo stand as Susie's house. Reviews graciously accepted Directors Cut 7 Sept 2010
1. Chapter 1

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

You have heard of them before; Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons and we know that Calvin, somehow, brought one to life, but this was not Frosty the snowman. In trying to defeat this evil fein, Calvin and Hobbes were alarmed to the fact that IT was making more and more duplicates of hidious sizes and shapes creating a small army of followers. With no other recourse but to attack, our duo launched a night assualt that managed to freeze the beasts in frozen water, but what if, just what if, one of them managed to escape from this surprise attack, lurking away from the house to build a whole new army of goons to perform it's evil deeds, and one of them was to get that kid...and his little tiger too?

"Im sure glad those snow goons are frozen" commented Calvin to his feline friend as they trudged through knee deep hard snow, skirting some dense wood lots.

"Me to" Hobbes chirpped wrapping a blue and green striped scarf around his neck, "Those things were ugly." Together with a toboggan in hand, the two began to ascend "suicide hill" one of the tallest hills in the country that overlooked a frozen creek. With the boy in front Hobbes positioned himself in the rear but was unsure whether or not to go ahead with their run.

Looking back Calvin could see the worried look on Hobbes face, one hand up in front of his face thinking heavily as his fingers brushed his nose. "Relax, you sissy" his companion berated him, "If the creek is frozen over, then we will be knocked unconscience and you won't feel a thing."

These words of encouragement did not soothe the ruffled hairs on the tiger's back. Still Calvin scooted the toboggan forward and Hobbes felt obliged to follow. Using their hands they inched their way to the edge. Down below was a steep incline more than forty-five degrees that had an unobstructed view all the way down to the creek. Too late to turn back now, down they went.

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Rapidly picking up speed, their blood flowed to their heads as they expressed themselves with wild yells. Their driving was less than average, though they had a straight shot at the creek they gradually began to deviate to the right and headed towards some sparse trees and hidden rocks. Shifting their bodies left and right where needed the boy gave directions, "Left! Right!" saying which way to move to sway their toboggan. In a moment of no directions Hobbes happened to glance to his right and saw something. At first he could barely make it out, then it came into focus. "Hey, look" tapping his companion on the shoulder.

"Don't bother me now fuzz brain! Im trying to steer!" As they drew closer and closer to the creek, Hobbes noticed that a snowman appeared to be moving and was on an intercept course with them. "Look, he's moving!" His companions' insistence finally made Calvin break focus and look and what he saw caused him to scream, "Good gravy!" Letting go of the reins Calvin lifted up his hands and leaned to the left, into Hobbes and together they fell off and crashed. Fortunately the soft snow cushioned their fall. Rapidly recovering from the accident, Hobbes sat up, toboggan at his feet thumping snow out of his ears. The goon was lumbering towards him at a slow speed, he could easily slip away, but Calvin was no where to be found. "Where are you?" crying out with his hands cupped around his mouth. A muffled whine came from below some disturbed snow, "Here!"

Brushing aside some of it with his paws, a tiny hat was discovered. "There you are" Hobbes smiled hoisting him out of his prison. When the boy shook off being stunned Hobbes direction his attention to what caused this accident.

"It's a goon!" the boy coughed, "How did it escape from the ice? I froze them all till July." Both of them watched wild eyed as the beast, with a hammerhead shark shaped head with two bulky stick arms, made a v-line for them, growling all the way. RRRRRRRRRR

"We can make it to my house, he can't get us in there," Calvin yelled in a hoarse voice, making a dash that way as Hobbes picked up the toboggan and caught up, "We'll turn up the thermostat. If he gets inside..."

"He'll melt" added his feline with a smile, it sounded like a good plan. "But, will your parents be against the heat?" Too exhausted to respond, they made the rush back to the house, throwing themselves inside and locking the door. "we're (gasp) safe...for awhile"

The inside of the house was empty. Mom and Dad were gone, a note was taped to the refrigerator:

__

Calvin

Gone to airport to pick up Uncle Max. Be back soon, do not eat anything. It will spoil your appetite. And no renting a VCR and horror movies while we are gone.

Love, Mom and Dad

"Drat" cursing under his breath. Equally runned out tiger went up the stairs to set the toboggan in Calvin's room, because he's a neat tiger, then rejoined his friend downstairs as the lockdown and wait game began. Peaking outside via the back door window Calvin remarked that the goons were still frozen in their tombs. To make sure, he counted all of them, "I don't get it. I froze them all. How could have one escaped?"

Hobbes came to his side, "I'm not sure. Maybe one did, the question is, what is it going to do?"

After a short time of waiting, they saw the behemoth coming towards the house through the backyard, "Golly, he's tracked us all the way here! Now what is he up to?" Calvin said in a hushed tone as he marvelled from watching through the door. To their astonishment, the goon used his branch arms to chisel out his fellow goons out of their imprisonment. When one was free it would turn and free another. From one came two and then four and then eight. In a short amount of time they were all free and now they had their eyes set on their captor.

"AIEEEE!" they cried together. All of the doors and windows were locked, still, the goons lunged at them, swarming to every window and door and testing their strengths. "They're well organized. Look how they surround the house, cutting off all escape routes" Hobbes said rather astonished as he looked every which way and saw nothing but goons.

"What are you doing? Admiring them! You goof. Come on, we have to defend the house, turn up the temperature then help me move the table to block the stairs," Calvin commanded as he was already tugging at the edges of the desk. Locks were beginning to buckle under the tremendous weight of the goons as they pounded away relentlessly.

"This is just in case they break in" the boy remarked. In the living room, the giant window began to shatter, a snowman got a running start and crashed through like a stunt man. It hit, coming completely apart as it landed on the floor, but it made the opening needed and goons began to come through. So much attention was made on heat that the goons managed to come through the house with ease after the breach was made and began to come through the corridor towards the stairs. After setting the dial the two raced upstairs. A goon lumbered through the hall, already beginning to sweat. Looking onto the wall it spied something, the thermistat and with one mighty swing smashed it onto the wall. The heater cut out and sent the house into a deadly chill. "Good gravy" Calvin shrieked, "Who've thought they would be smart enough to do that?"

Hobbes retorted, "Apparently not you"

"We have to get to my room, I have to get some things" the spiked blonde haired youth said a little belligerent.

Shicked at this command Hobbes yelled as they ran towards said room, "Why your room! We have to get out of here! They're already coming up the stairs!"

Indeed they were, the way was open, the barricade around the stairs was ripped apart, there was nothing to impeed their progress. One by one, they filed up to get their prey. Slamming the door shut and pressing his body against it Hobbes was buying the necessary time to allow Calvin to gather some possessions into a backpack.

"Ok, got it"

The tiger asked, "Now what?" as goons began to bang against the door which buckled immediately under their combined strength.

"We go out the window," the boy gestured to his bedroom window that was on the slanted roof top, "Easy, huh?" throwing open the shudders. A snow covered roof awaited him that was concealing a layer of ice underneth. Worse yet down below were mumbling, groaning, angry goons that did not see him yet. To himself he nervously chuckled, "Yeah...easy"

"You better hurry, these guys are more pushy than salesmen" the tiger was straining to keep his body strong as the door began to break holding back the river. Climbing through the window and looking back Calvin shouted, "OK, let go and grab the toboggan."

Hobbes obliged, with one quick moment turned leaving the door, scooped up the sled, and darted out the window just as the goons broke down the door and saw their prey escaping. "NAUGH NAUGH suckers" Calvin thumbed his nose. Getting a footing on the roof was impossible after a couple of steps Calvin slipped and began to slide down the slope. Out of instinct he reached for something to stop and snatched up Hobbes' tail. Down they went together and nearly into the hands of the enemy. Hobbes landed on his feet and grabbing his friend by his collar with one hand and the sled in the other expedited them out by going into the woods.

Several minutes of running his burst of energy was spent. Coughing and now letting out a weeze Hobbes slowed to a walk. He let go of his friend and still taking the sled they went around through the crunchy snow.

"I can't believe it. My house is over run with deranged killer mutant monster snow goons," the boy said his eyes wide but his face blank of any other expression.

Coughing as he talked Hobbes said, "Your mom (cough) and dad will be upset when they see the water (cough) trails they left on the floor."

That remark when unheard by the boy as they sought a safe place to rest, far beyond the reach of their adversaries. They found it on a small, near naked hill where on its crown a lonely fat tree sat providing such a place. It stood near a small brook that surprisingly was not frozen over, this provided drink as well. Resting the toboggan against the tree's trunk, Hobbes sat down, followed by Calvin. "What did you bring?" the feline asked. Enthusiastic, the boy open the pack to show him the contents, "I have Captain Napalm comics, some white string, a Swiss army knife..."

"Comics? These are useless! What good would they do?" belligerent over his incompetence taking one of the plastic wrapped comics.

"Oh, shut up you big baby" taking back the comic and placing it back into his bag and retrieved another, "Here, you can read Amazon Babe." That managed to massage the tiger enough to sit back down and reflect a little as reality set in for the two. It did not last long. Reading over the thought and speech bubbles and the bright artwork their minds clicked and reality set in for the two. Those snowmen were on the loose. Who knows what they might be doing to the neighbors. "Maybe they'll get Susie" Calvin hissed with a hideous grin.

Around that very neighborhood, everything was chaos. The once thought fictitious goons were in fact running amuck, invading houses, destroying property, and snatching up victims and dragging them away to depths unknown. Those that managed to escape south sought solace in many places, but, one by one, they were captured.


	2. Chapter 2

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

From their little hill the two could not see but hear the chaos that was unraveling close by. Shrieks and cries, scattered gunshots all filled their ears and their hearts sank to their stomachs. Putting down his comic Calvin climbed to the top of the naked tree and could see a couple of snowmen going to a house and dragging away a person. Climbing back down he lowered his head, this was his fault. He made these creatures. He could not run away though he wanted to. Slamming a fist into his open palm Calvin proclaimed loudly, "We have to get back to the house." Nodding affirmatively the two made their way back through the woods.

His friend asked him "But how?" in a much lighter tone of voice to avoid betraying their position to any lurking goons, "The house is over run with those snowmen. There is no way we can fight against all of those." He was right, there was dozens, if not a hundred of those things by now, and by now, they be multiplying even further rapidly. "They're might be hundreds of them by night fall, which...which...would be cool if they weren't out to kill me" Calvin paused sporting a devilish smirk. Hobbes could only roll his eyes in disappointment. For what seemed like miles, they walked, the tiger with a toboggan tucked under one arm, Calvin with his backpack thrown over his shoulder, they were about to give up and collapse from exhaustion when the woods cleared, and there, sat a small house that was not their's. "Who lives here?" the boy asked.

Hobbes shrugged his shoulders then carefully looked about before venturing further, "I don't see snow goons, so I guess it's safe."

Tired, hungry, thirsty, and scared, our duo went forth to see if they could get some food from the good people inside, instead, they found it to be ransacked, no one was there. In it's front yard, Calvin saw the undeniable tracks of snow goons. Wide, shallow snow brushed away to either side made by their heavy bodies, plus shavings of bark from their arms beside that, "I can't believe it, Hobbes. They multiplied and now are going after the whole neighborhood."

All down the street, they could see nothing but damaged houses, cars, and not a single soul. "I wonder where they took them all." Hobbes wondered.

Calvin let his mind wander and he gave the over exaggeration suggestion, "Perhaps they were captured and taken to some secret lab where they remove their brains and replace them with ice and turn them into snow men zombies" the boy opened himself for a rebuttal.

"I wish they replace your brain with a block of ice" Hobbes growled.

"What was that?"

"Nothing"

Shaking his head Calvin continued, "We can't stay here, we have to find a better place to stay." Hobbes agreed, but where? Every house they came across was damaged, windows broken, doors smashed in, nothing offered solace to them. They made their way through backyards, avoiding the streets as much as possible, heading towards Susie's house, from there, they planned on going further into town, and tell the police. In his mind, Calvin concocted a wild story to tell, "Killer Mutant Monster Snow goons took my parents."

"I think I read that book" Hobbes laughed. Neither of them knew why to go to her house, but it just seemed right and without trying to change it, without saying any questions they headed that way. Susie's house had an unmistakable red brick wall that fenced the house both front and back and when they came across it they paused to look around. No one was there but Hobbes sniffed the air. He detected nothing. Moving abreast of the bright red brick wall they sensed nothing thus paid no heed until a head appeared above them screaming at the top of it's lungs, "Die!" Everyone screamed, Calvin recoiled backwards using Hobbes as a shield and a brief stand off ensued until Calvin recognized the head and voice, "Susie?"

"Calvin, it's you. Quick, get inside." Susie disappeared and the two moved towards the front gate. Opening it up the two were allowed inside the house where the heat soothed his chilled body. They were not alone. Inside there were over a dozen children of various ages that had sought refuge there. All doors were barricade with furniture, and windows locked. Hanging up their coats, hands, and removing their boots Susie began a tour of the household going past the remnants, "This is all that is left of the neighborhood" showing roughed up, tired, poor faces huddled around a small fire. "Everyone else is gone."

"Where did they go?" asking about the parents.

"Not sure," she shrugged. "Mine, the last time I saw, were being dragged outside, into the woods." Pausing by the fireplace she looked at the flames fighting back tears that were leaking through her eyes, but it was of no use and she began to weep. Turning away Susie left the room and the two newcomers were perplexed at what to do and they looked at the other survivors and sat down with them beside the fire. Those that were there included Billy, Candace, Floyd, and Byant whom were asking one another how they managed to elude the snowmen on a rampage.

"I was in my room where they crashed through the door, taking my brother and my mom" Billy began with his raspy voice, "I got out by running out the back door and hiding in a garbage can," deeply embarrassed.

"At least you made it" Floyd nudged him with his elbow and sipping from on a mug of cocoa, "My parents were also taken, and they nearly got me had it not been for my baseball bat here," laying next to him was an aluminum baseball bat. "I swung Ol' Betsy around and knocked his head clean off." Everyone laughed.

With his feet now warming up, Calvin sighed deeply from his seat on a rug. All eyes fell on him and his furry companion for several silent moments, whom took noticed and uneasily stared back. Candace finally broke their silence, "Calvin, how did you escape?" She did not want to ask for she knew Calvin from school but she forced herself to ask. Being the one that liked to brag, Calvin smirked at them and began to tell his tale. However, Hobbes knew what was going to happen and decided to put as much space between him and the loud mouth as possible, "Well...," but before he could talk, Susie sat down beside him, and the subject changed.

"How long have you been here?" he asked. In her lap was a spiral ring notebook. Opening to the first page she had written down everything that had happened so far, "It started in the morning, about nine when the goons came in. I hid in the bathroom and they left me. I barricaded the house afterwards. After an hour, kids began to show up, so I let them in, and we remained quiet as chaos reined outside." Reading over her shoulder Calvin saw very neat constant font writing with every name and description of kids that came to her house.

A hush fell over the room, the only noise was the fire snap and hiss as it began to die down. What little fire wood was left was added to keep it alive, otherwise, there was nothing in which they could do. Now warm, his blood began coursing through his body becoming ever hotter with anger, Calvin got up from his seat, dawned his coat and boots, then ventured outside. A curious Hobbes wrapped in his arms and Susie following, asking herself, What was he thinking? Down the shoveled walkway, Calvin took several steps, then stopped and surveyed the landscape.

"What are you thinking?" the girl asked lightly, the boy did not respond at first. He was deep in thought. His six year old mind clicked somehow, "We need to fortify this place" turning around.

"But how?" Susie cocked an eyebrow underneth her pink beanie.

"See the walls?" pointing to the open sides of the property and walking that way as he talked, , "We need to build a connecting wall so this place is enclosed."

"How do we do that?" a puzzled Susie asked, shivering through her coat.

"What's the one thing we have plenty of?" Calvin smirked.

Susie did not answer.

Taking up a handful of the white blanket at his feet he shower her, "Snow."

"Snow?"

"Yeah, snow. We stack it up, pound it like dough, and soak it in water it will make it a brick."

It was the best idea she heard in a while. Convinced that it would work Susie went inside and managed to convince those inside of the idea. Susie had a nack for inspiring people, maybe it was because she had more friends or she was book smart, either way it worked and in minutes everyone hustled outside, given pales, and told what to do. Gathered outside in the front yard Calvin stood just down the walkway in front of them, "If we build this wall" he said to them, "It will be a start in defending our homes, our way of life from these snowmen. I will not stay inside and let them run loose. I will fight them, but I can't fight alone. Who will join me in defending this house? From there, we will defend others". Those words echoed around the neighborhood, when they faded away into oblivion. His eyes looked around at the silent statues. Susie took up a pale, "I will join you" she said. A pause came, then Floyd followed by Candace and Billy took up buckets as well, then everyone came up to build. Scooping up hundreds of pales worth of frost they made a snake wall up to eight feet high then tehy began to pound down to three feet and then added more on top to renew the beating process. A steep slope led to the outside world that was doused in ice water that quickly hardened over creating a slick surface that was nearly impossible to climb upon. This fixture was crude, but it did create an all around barrier to help keep out the goons.

"There is no way they can get at us now" a proud Floyd laughed as he looked around him. Everyone agreed. They felt safer. The front gate was also barricaded in the same manner. "There" Calvin proclaimed from on top of the brick wall, "Our fort is invincible. No one will dare to challenge us!"

Down below, the exhausted members of the defense marveled at his persistence and determination. Now with this fence complete, everyone wanted to go inside, but the boy refused. "We can't," he told them, "We have to find a better way to defend ourselves."

"How?" said a voice from the crowd. "Those things are snow men! Best thing we can do is just stay inside. The wall will keep them out for awhile but the house is our best defense. The heat will protect us." Agreements went all around.

Calvin bocked at the idea, "How long will be safe with the heat?" he questioned, "These snow goons are smart. I wouldn't be surprised if they figure out how to cut the power, then what? We stay inside, huddled together and sing "Kum-bia?" Their faces fell. "Those things smashed my themistat and stopped us from melting them." Faces fell, "We can't just stay inside, and be scared. I won't. I will fight!" Clenching a fist he stabbed the sky.

There were no cheers or applause. Just stone silence. Calvin looked at them. These were not fighters, they were children, then some muffled murmuring to one another. "Now, come on! Who is with me?" again, silence. Calvin panted in puffs of steam as no one wanted to join in his idea. Exhaustion showed on their faces, they just wanted to sleep and let this nightmare pass. One by one, the children broke off from the group and headed inside. Susie was among the last to leave, but the ever faithful Hobbes stuck by his friend as he dismounted the wall. "Whatever will we do?" the furry striped animal asked as they watched the door shut.

Dismounting from the wall the two began to stroll down the length of the perimeter, "Hobbes, we are now faced with a crisis."

"How so?"

"We are facing snowmen that I created. Why can't I just go out and face them. One on one?"

Hobbes paused for a moment, thinking of an answer, "Because" he said, "They don't think like humans. They want, what they want."

"So, they are like zombies?" the boy looked up at his taller companion.

"More or less, yes"

"Cool," he smiled, "How do they kill zombies in the movies?"

"Shoot them, of course"

"But, we don't have guns, or rifles, or bombs" Calvin finally stopped near a corner.

"How they kill Frosty at the end of the movie?" Hobbes scratched his head.

"I dunno. Maybe they stabbed him with an icicle."

Watching from a window, Candace and Susie watched as Calvin talked to his stuffed pal, "I wonder what he's talking about" said the dark haired Candace. "Beats me. I don't want to know what that boy thinks" replied a disappointed Susie.

Back outside, Calvin was thinking of a solution to help solve the problem they were facing. "Look, we have heat for awhile. Who knows how long before the goons come back, and when they do, there will be hundreds of them. This emergency meeting of G.R.O.S.S will now come into order!"

Snapping to attention, "All hail, Supreme Dictator for life Calvin" Hobbes saluted.

"All hail, president and first sergeant Hobbes" Calvin replied. "Today, we are facing a crisis. Our enemy today will not be girls, but of deranged killer mutant monster snow goons, bent on capturing us, and turning us into their fiendish zombie slaves."

Without his log book, Hobbes remembered the words in his head and Calvin continued to rant, "We have made the fort, now we need weapons. First sergeant Hobbes?"

"Sir?" snapping to attention.

"What weapons do we have?". Conducting a quick memory glance of the house, Hobbes came up with his assessment, "Sir, we are armed with baseball bats, sticks, and claws."

Hearing the report sent Calvin into a dead chill. Those weapons could not stand up to an army of snow goons.

"We need...something that there's alot of...something that can destroy snow. Snowballs or slush balls are useless against them" Calvin said.

Nodding in agreement Hobbes said, "Yes, how about rocks? Stones? I mean, they're heavy and the creek is close by and there are hundreds of them. We've crushed cans with rocks. If they can crush cans then they can go through snow."

Calvin beamed, "Yes, if we can hit him in the head...it might put them down completely."

Goods snows, flat and well rounded lay under the flowing water of the creek just a couple dozen yards outside the walls of the house and they had the pales to collect loads of them. Flushed with joy the boy ran inside, shouting to everyone about his answer. Groggy, many of them hissed and jeered back. Undeterred, Calvin grabbed his toboggan and rushed back outside, gathered all the discarded pales, and went over the wall, with Hobbes in tow, of course. Watching from windows as the night of the first day dragged on the children watched as the boy made it all the way to the creek, in knee deep snow, and began to fill the pales with stones, cupping his hands and submerging them under the chilled water, "Oh my, they'll be captured" Susie softly cried. Once every pale was full, Calvin pulled the laden down toboggan back towards the house. The journey was difficult and slow, he stumbled a few times, but recovered. Reaching the ice wall, he found that Cadence and Billy were there waiting. A rope came over and the toboggan reins were tied to it and hauled up, followed by Calvin and Hobbes.

Mission accomplished.

It was a small victory for the small force hemmed up in the fort, but a victory nonetheless. "Where did you learn how to fight like this?" Susie said to Calvin as he came inside.

"I got stuck in the library last Friday. I got bored and found a book about the Alamo. Needlesstosay, I liked it" he smirked.

"So, I guess that this will be our Alamo?" she asked.

"Uh, remember what happened to the men of the Alamo?" Hobbes stepped in.


	3. Chapter 3

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

The night dragged on towards midnight. Sitting around and constantly glancing at the clock the survivors counted the minutes to midnight. Second day of the outbreak. A count was made of all of the supplies inside the household. "Three days" replied a perturbed Susie, "If every person got three meals a day with sixteen mouths, then, we should last three days."

Hobbes did not like being excluded from the count, Hobbes also did the math on the fort itself. He predicted the entire length of the wall and divided by the number of the garrison. He estimated that there would be fifteen feet of space between each man or girl manning the outside wall. Looking outside into the neighborhood he could see the some of the households still had their lights on and an idea clicked.

Coming into the kitchen the furball made the suggestion that helped to lighten things up, "Perhaps we can raid the other houses. They are vacant. Only problem would be to get past them," refering to the snow goons. It sounded simple. Many good houses were nearby, and the sled could carry their loot. By good that meant they were wealthy people in large houses and the tiger deduced that the larger the house the larger the food supply would be. Not only that, many of the kids brought their sleds with them when they sought sanctuary at Susie's.

Calvin slammed his hands together creating a loud clap, "We'll do it. We'll raid the houses and get the food."

Naturally, Hobbes volunteered to go as well, "One can smell a snow goon a mile away" pointing to his projecting nostil and taking pride in his heightened senses.

It was pitch black outside, the perfect cover, and when the time came to leave, Hobbes, having marked out the desired household opened the door and slipped out. Three houses were selected: one next door to the west, then two across the street to the south. Just as they were about to leave Billy and Floyd offered to go with them, it was better in numbers, and offered their sleds. Calvin said to them, "We are only going for food, nothing else." They agreed, no looting of anything. Now cloaked in darkness, the party slipped over the wall, their sleds fixed with rope to the drag behind them. Hobbes took the lead, sniffing the way in front of them. It was an quick trek to the first house and with Hobbes slinking his way up the windows he peeked inside and found it was vacant. The back door was ripped from his hindges allowing him a way in and giving the signal the party went in. Fully expecting goons to appear from the darkness and swallow them up at any minute Calvin spurred the two boys to hurry as Hobbes went from room to room to find anything else of use. Opening up cupboards and the icebox they swiped everything and threw it onto the sleds. In five minutes all four came out, their sleds grinding into the ground by the weight of the food onboard. As they ran towards their next destination across the street Calvin glanced up to the left and saw the heads of the others on top of the wall watching them. He smiled and gave a thumbs up. Across the street, the second house was silfered through, what little that was not spoiled or destroyed already was thrown with the rest. Then, it was on to the third. This was the largest house on the block, owned by the Mortimer family, a very wealthy couple that had a smart lad named James. No matter of wealth of intelligence could disquise the fact that up the intense gravity field he projected towards himself to fill his high self esteem. Going in, the house was completely ransacked, and there was no food at all. Much to the jargon of the party they returned with their sleds, their mission now over. Crossing the street, the last leg of the journey was the most hair raising. Hobbes bounded across the open lane to the fort then paused and looked both ways. It seemed clear thus he summoned the others to cross at once. The party could feel their hearts climb up to their throats as they sprinted across, their heads jerking either which way fully expecting to see a goon come out of the darkness yet none came. A rope was thrown over the wall and the four brave souls and their guerry were hauled inside Susie silfted through the foodstuffs and came up with a count: 13 loafs of bread, two dozen eggs, several wrapped packages of fresh meat, a little bacon, flour, two gallons of milk, sixteen cans of soda, five gallons of juice of various kinds, and forty cans of soup. It was not much, but it helped feed the hungry mouths a little longer, "Tomorrow" said Calvin, "We'll go to three more houses."

That night, the defenders ate and slept wherever they could, on the stairs, on the floors, and on the kitchen table. Even then, sleeping was difficult, they were home sick, missing their parents and their own warm beds, the only person awake was Hobbes. He could not sleep at all, his animal mantality was on full alert. He got up and went around the house, peering through frost caked windows, taking a glimpse of everything outside. Empty mugs, coats, hats, and snow boots lay everywhere. That red brick wall in the back yard was on his mind. Behind them was the corpse of trees. "That's where they are going to come from" he thought, "from behind". As the hours fetted away, no one noticed a ticking clock on a night stand beside Susie's bed. Neglecting to deactivate it the alarm sent many running outside thinking an attack was underway with its constant high tone blare. Mouting the walls was a comic matter where no one was laughing. Tripping, falling, and cursing were rampant as the children rushed to the pales of stone stacked by the doorway and carry them outside. Tense, their blood pumping, they waited impatiently in the slowly growing lightness for an attack that never came. A deep red faced Susie came out, "Sorry, everyone" she said, "It was only my alarm clock". Groans and sighs went all around.

Since they were already awake, the garrison went to work anyway. Billy returned inside to get his scarf that was forgotten in his flight. As he wrapped the cloth around his neck, Calvin approached the freckle faced, glasses wearing boy, "Can you climb the roof to provide a look out?" Thinking about it for a moment, Billy accepted the offer, however, Hobbes was taken aback.

"Why not me?" protesting loudly, "I have eyes sharper than an eagle".

Acting calmly, Calvin told him why, "You have the strength of ten men. We'll need you down here for something else," zipping up his jacket and applying his beanie. Hobbes did not say another word about it. A ladder allowed Billy to climb to the top where he straddled the A framed roof. Forgetting he was afraid of heights he carefully inched his way towards the chimney to rest his back against it, then began his scan. From his perch, the whole neighborhood could be seen, and not a soul was around, "It's a ghost town" he thought, crossing his arms trying to keep warm in the frigid air. Down below Billy could hear the high pitch whine of Calvin as he sloshed through the snow, going from place to place. This little boy and his furry companion were thinking of ways to fortify their position even more. After taking a tour of the walls Calvin called inside his friend and Susie to the kitchen, on top of a table, Calvin threw out a piece of white paper. Coupled with a pen, he sketched out the entire house, and began to show his plans on how to defend this house against the goons. "Our walls are strong but what we needed is a catapult or some type of artillery that can deal with them at long range, and ramparts in which to mount them." The idea was rather farfetched. Susie rolled her eyes and groaned. It was inconcieveable to even have a notion of battling these things. What the boy was asking for was impossible, but the boy explained his plans in detail and with simplicity. He also had persistance. It was beginning to make sense now as he drew out areas of danger then Hobbes took up the pen and drew the corpse of trees to the south. The land there slopped down gently all the way to the creek and there was a large rock outcropping that was concealed by the heavy snow. This was a blind spot. If the goons could get enough people there then they would be cut off from their main weapon. The houses here varied their defensability after the outbreak and there was no sighting of the goons but they could surround them in just minutes after stepping over the walls. It was clear: this was there Alamo. They were surrounded, and it does not appear that help was coming, and their mood changed completely, "Im not going to fall to them like my parents did" Susie proclaimed, "What do you want us to do?" looking at Calvin right in the eye.

A small shed in the back offered some help, it was a work bench Susie's father used to help fix the house. Opening it up Calvin's dream came true. Power tools, hand tools, plenty of wood, everything he wanted, but instead of forefilling his fantasies, they were to be used to save their lives. No time was to waste. This is where Hobbes's strength came into play. First, a sketch of his work was made, then the saw was turned on, and did not stop for hours. Outside the un-insulated shed, workers began to work on a snow rampart the south west corner, bordering the street. This was deemed by them to be the most likely place of attack. In addition to a catapult wooden stakes, sharpened at both ends, were driven into the ground at a 45 degree angles below the rampart giving the fort a growing porcupine look. All through the day, work progressed with undieing devotion. Susie was everywhere, helping and encouraging her friends, Calvin was there was well albiet edgy along the same walls, waiting for the goons to find him. At last, the saw stopped, as was did the hammering and cursing. Proudly, Hobbes announced that his "weapon" was ready. Delighted, Calvin asked for help from Floyd and younger Gerald O' Brian to help move it out using tow ropes to the finished rampart where fears persisted that the combined weight of peoplpe, the catapult, and the ammunition would cause it to crumble. Inching its way up the slope the catapult suceeded to the top and remained solid.

Everythng was perfect now, all they needed was a foe to try it on. Ask for it, you shall recieve. Billy called down that he saw movement to the south-west. A group of goons were seen about 100 yards away, mooping about carelessly in a open patch of land. It was too far for one to throw, so they would be the first victims of Hobbes's creation. Using hemp rope Calvin and Floyd pulled down the flexible arm until the bowl was level with the ground and a projecting wood tip allowed the lock to activate keeping it in place. Several handfuls of rock filled the bowl and then the kids adjusted the small wood wheels at its base to adjust the projection. The kids wanted this shot to make some sort of difference as everyone else climbed to watching positions along the walls and were apprehensive whether or not the rampart would sink or the catapult would shatter on the first shot. Once the weapon was sighted, a long laynard of rope was unraveled by Calvin heading down the rampart slope. One good jerk on this would release the lock and the arm would snap forward. Holding up one hand he beagn, "Ready!" drawing out the tension, "Aim!" People groaned, they wanted to see some action.

"Fire already!" protested Susie loudly.

Jerking on the rope, the arm was released and snapped forward in a instant. Everyone gasped, thinking it might break, but the wood and snow was firm, and the rocks hurtled towards the unsuspecting foe. Hearing the snap the goons looked in their general direction and then up at the sailing rocks and then death rained down on them. Heads were smashed, arms ripped off, guts pierced. Cheers broke out, everyone celebrated this victory as the group lay withering. To add to the joy, Calvin took a discarded stick, tied a discarded black shirt to it, handed it to the sentry up top whom attached it to the chimney; a symbol of defiance.

Now armed with a fearful weapon, the defenders of the fort was now begging for the enemy, daring them to attack. "Come on now!" they screamed together, "Try and get us now!" For the rest of the day, nothing happened. All of the goons seemed to have vanished following the squashing of their comrades and decided to stay away. Several more forays went out to retrieve more stones, including heavy ones for the catapult and then to the nieghboring houses for supplies. Another such weapon was under construction by Hobbes including a rampart to mount it. No one was slacking in their ventures. Calvin was surprised to see such diligent work, and it's speed impressed him as well. "We should have the whole place built like a castle by morning." When night settled, people collasped from exhaustion, but they went to sleep knowing that they did some good today. They were not going to fall easily to snow men. Only Billy remained awake, scanning about in all directions. It was a clear, full moon night, he would see as if it were day. Nothing moved. Then, something stirred in the distance, coming down the street from the West. Weary that it might be a mind trick, Billy continued to watch it, something was moving out there. It came closer and closer, house by house. It was not a goon, much too fast. It was human. Quickly, he climb up and shouted down the chimney stack, "Someone's coming!" No one heard him over the crackle of the flames so he threw down some collected snow, the noise of it hitting simmering embers awoke many to what was happening.


	4. Chapter 4

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

Running out of doors, the defenders mounted the walls as a voice called out from the darkness, "Oy! Toss us a ladder!" came a very distressed voice on the other side. Immediately convinced that they were not goons, but mere children they obliged. A rope was thrown over and people began struggle to climb in. The first one in was a kid badly mangled with dirty white linen wrapped around his arms, face, and his coat was ripped apart. He fell into Susie's arm and was carried inside. The next two over were a boy and girl both coughing violently and sniffling, a sign of a cold or flue. These to were followed by a string of healthy ones that lacked proper winter gear. Some had inept jackets, half had no gloves, and a couple were even wearing tennis shoes. One that came tumbling in, to everyones surprise was James Mortimer himself, a neatly combed, blond haired, self centered brat, even more so than Calvin. "Thank goodness for you" said a cheerful James, hugging all those inside the fort, "We've been out there for two days, running from snowmen gone amuck. What's going on?" asking them. No one said a word, no one seemed to know, save Calvin, but he remained tight lip.

"Do you have food? We are starving" he asked, holding his stomach. More than happy to feed him and his eleven comrades that accompanied James inside the fort Susie said, "Sure we do. Come on in," knowing full well that now it further strained their beleaguered food supply but decided not to make a fuss. Hustled back into the warmth one by one, Calvin remained reluctant to go inside after eyeing Mortimer as he commented on the pale looking wall paper of Susie's house. Only ones left outside were Calvin whom pulled Susie aside, "I don't trust this guy," putting his point bluntly.

Susie was not too sure about him either, "Yes, but they need our help." With that, she went in to prepare some food and drink.

Eating delicious sandwhiches of fresh ham and tomatoes with juice, James, and his close friend Oliver, began to tell Susie and Calvin at the kitchen table how they eluded the snowmen as the rest of their party huddled near a roaring fire. "They came at us when we were at Oliver's house," telling them sadly, "Bashed in the door. We fled into the woods, with only our clothes on our backs. We stayed away till the next morning, living in igloos basically. We came back home, found the place abandoned, so, together, me and Oliver tried to find others. I wanted to get to my parents, but those snowmen seemed to be everywhere. For a while, my group held up in someone's basement, then, we saw this house, and your flag. Naturally, we came here to seek help." His story impressed the two leaders, a testament to perseverance, but Calvin did not really believe into it as he stared James right in his blue eyes, both men did not budge.

"Well" Susie broke the tension, "Now that you are here, you can help us with our fort."

"Fort? What fort?" scoffed James as he sipped on his juice.

"This is our fort," she smiled.

Both of the new boys fought hard to try and not to laugh, but it was evident that they were, "You call this a fort? My dad can build a better one on his own, in one day. Besides, why build a fort? We need to get out of here as soon as possible," raising his voice so others can here outside the kitchen.

"Our best chance is to stay here and wait for someone to find us" Calvin insisted that his course of action was the best. "We stand a better chance inside here, than out there where they can get at us easier."

James looked at this spunky lad, and smiled, "OK, boy, we'll stay," finishing his drink.

"Good, because, if you stay, you have to work..." added Susie an extended finger stabbed into the kitchen table.

Next morning, the defenders awoke to find that they were still alive for another day. Breakfast was small though this time around. With a dozen more mouths to feed, the rations were reduced to a little more a couple mouthfuls of meat, an egg, and a glass of juice. Surprised that Mortimer and his band was still here Calvin gave them the task of the North west corner to work on, because, it was the weakest part for the "weakest" people. Snow needed to be shoveled out of the way in the plaza created to improvement movement from place to place and more rocks needed to be taken in. Calvin directed them to do this however Mortimer could only laugh. "Rocks? Rocks! You honestly believe that rocks can kill snowmen? God, man, you're even wierder than I thought." All twelve of these new people were the richest in the neighborhood, thus they were snotty, stuck up, superior feeling, typical richn folk and elected not to listen to an inferior being. Work still progressed however elsewhere. When noon came around, everyone took a break inside. Sitting around a rejuvenated fire, James did not relent in his prospect of abandoning this position for some place "better."

"If we stick to the woods, we can reach the other neighborhoods to the south," he said, "They have houses made with gated windows and have guns. You know those people have to fend for themselves alot."

"But, the goons seem to go to the woods. The people they capture are last seen dragged into there," Calvin said in his one of them liked the other's idea, nothing was accomplished except wasted breath. Hobbes tuned his catapult with Gerald and Bryant's help. He saw Mortimer's group at their area of the wall, they were seemingly lax, not working at all. Some even took the whole situation as a joke, even plotting to overthrow Calvin and Susie and making James as head of the fort.

To himself the tiger growled, "This is madness." He did not trust them either sensing cowardliness at the wrong time. Inside the shed, more and more planks of wood fueled the tiger to build more and more to help keep his mind occupied where precision counts. Calvin asked him if he can build as many of these new catapults as possible to cover every part of the walls, "Will do" the furry feline smiled.

As the feline continued with his labor he was suddenly called away by another trying mission to fetch more food. "You know, I wonder how many castles would not have fallen if they had not run out of food. Sometimes I wish I were a tree and had no need to eat again," Hobbes recounted thoughts from his mind aloud as he cleaned off his hands and met with his friend.

Billy and Floyd volunteered to go out again as well, however, before they could start Mortimer protested this "useless" sortie as a needless excuse to waste precious time."Those things will find you, and when they do, they will scoop you up and devour you," sneering to Calvin as they climbed over the wall, but Calvin was not scared by this. He stared right back and spat, "I hope that if they do get in here they get to you first," then he slide down the face of the wall and disappeared into the night. Though exhausted by his work in the shed, Hobbes wanted to scout about this night, he sensed something, but kept it to himself what it was.

Slinking away around trees and frost covered bushes, a house was scoped out. It was a single story dwelling with gray aluminum siding. "Who's house is this?" asked Billy in a whisper as they watched the tiger sniff about. "Not sure" Calvin replied, "But I bet it's loaded with good food." Very idea of fresh fruit and milk brought a smile to his face. A door was ajar, Hobbes slipped in to find a narrow corridor that led to a kitchen and a family room to his immediate right. A tense moment passed, the three boys watched edgy, hiding behind a hedge in the freezing snow for the all clear. When it came, they burst out from hiding and dragged their sleds behind them into the surprisingly still warmed house. Billy and Floyd raided every cabinet, throwing canned food onto their transports as Calvin went to get a look see outside. A frost covered window offered a good view towards the West. Some houses, with flickering lights, could be seen, but he wondered if anyone was inside them, waiting to be rescued like they were. "We're finished," Billy spoke loudly. Coming back to the kitchen, all three sleds were overloaded with cans, containers, and trays, and both Floyd and Billy had wild smiles on their faces. Smiling back, Calvin took the rope to his toboggan and began to drag the overloaded plank to the door. Just as he was about to get outside...

GRRRRRRRR

Squawking, the boys ran into one another in the narrow hallway as a giant snow goon with three heads and branches for antennas, charged in. Neither one of them were armed. With long limbs, the goon snatched up Calvin whom fought desperately to get free. For saplings these branches would not break and the goon drew Calvin in, opening its mouth.

"DIE!" a roar caused the goon to release Calvin and looked up. Hobbes brandished a club, swinging it wildly. With speed, Hobbes tackled his foe from behind knocking him over and nearly crushing his friend underneath. Pinned for just a moment the tiger stood on the beasts' shoulders, held his club above his head and brought down his weapon onto its head. One strike and it was over.

"Are you all right?" asked the tiger to the dazed Calvin.

"Yeah, I guess so" collecting himself, "We have to go. More will be here soon," taking up his knocked off beanie.

A mad dash back to the fort came, all four dragged the burdened sleds towards the walls, where fellow defenders encouraged them on. Giving up their sortie early to compensate to save what they did have now coupled with their encounter with a goon the team clambered up the icy slope of the fort. There were cheers and back pats as one kid dived into the food pile bathing himself life giver. As they laughed Billy called out a warning, "Over there!" in the direction in which the party came. Loading up the catapult the crew fired a canister round that disappeared along with the goons.

"That was a close shave" panted the boy, resting his body against the snow wall.

"Let's not do that again," smirked his furry friend.

After a pause to rest, Susie came up with some good news while they were gone. "Three more made it to us. They say that another group is holed up further down the street."

It was good news indeed, but everyone was too exhausted to do anything about it. "Can they get to us?" Calvin asked, heading for the front door. Following at his side, Susie told him, "They can, but it won't be until maybe in the morning. We'll need to send a messenger back to tell them about all this and that we will accept them." Nodding back in approval, Calvin entered the solace.

As the night wore on, a figure jumped the wall and raced away...

Next morning, work was restarted again. Meals were much better this day, including some fruit cocktail. Happy children smiled, "I got a cherry!" Work was also hard again, at this part of the siege more ramparts were needed to carry the catapults Hobbes was rolling off his assembly line. All were upbeat. If reports of another group were indeed true then that would mean more friends, more power, and also more mouths to feed and the need to make room for them. Thus all of the furniture was rearranged to meet this new demand. Unneeded desks and chairs were chopped up into firewood to fuel the fire to keep them warm. During the night the power cut out thus leaving the garrison only the light from the fire and some flashlights to show their way. Only one door remained unsecured, the front, everything else was barred shut. As he toured the insides of the house Calvin said to Hobbes, "If they get over the walls we'll have to fall back inside house. Have extra rocks placed by the windows and doors that way we don't have to run around with all that, all the time."

He seemed rather proud that all this will stop snowmen, but Hobbes remained unsure, "Why don't we forget the walls and use all of our resources on the house?" A pause came between them then Calvin turned to his friend, "We need to have an outter barrier," meaning the snow walls, "Otherwise, if they break into the house without them, we have no fall back place and they might be weakened with lesser numbers." Thinking about, Hobbes finally accepted the proposal of his friend. It was also hoped, if this new group comes in, they would have enough numbers to man these positions. All day long, the boy wondered how many were coming. Would they be fit to fight? Were they sick or wounded? How much supplies did they have? How much did he have?

Susie was still sorting through the many cans of goods that were fished in from the night. Water was still plentiful, faucets still worked. All plastic jugs were filled and when the spigots were not working fast enough then snow was boiled. Also an added bonus, Susie's two toilets also worked as well, making life just a little bit more bearable though the electricity was still out.

Outside, Mortimer and his gang were slowly working on their ramp. "Hey, Mort" barked O' Rouke, one of his followers, "Why do we have to work like this? I followed you to find us sanctuary not to build a dang fort." Others seemed agree with his sentiments, this was not a fort, but a trap.

Coming out to inspect them, Calvin saw their progress, their laziness, and was livid. The snow was pitifully piled up, men were sitting, asleep, or drinking cocoa. Calvin tried to deal with the problem himself, marching right up to the older Mortimer. With angry eyes, the two stared at each other, practically nose to nose, "I told you, I wanted this ramp up by noon" Calvin yelled.

"I don't take orders from a peasant" Mortimer spat.

Hobbes was ready nearby to pounce, but remained fixed. Calvin could fight for himself.

"Look here, you jerk" Calvin said, "Those snow goon will be here at any minute. We need this ramp up..."

Mortimer cut him off, "What for? What can a catapult do? Why are we afraid of stupid snowmen?"

"Because" Calvin answered, "These are not regular snowmen. These are deranged killer mutant monster snow goons. And they will kill us when they get the chance." Finished, Calvin stared at Mortimer whose lower lip turned up. Both turned and walked away from each other, leaving the garrison baffled. Was there a battle in the command chain?


	5. Chapter 5

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

By nightfall, three new weapons were up and ready. One was placed on the south wall where Hobbes feared the attack would come, one was rolled up to Mortimer's position, but because his rampart was not finished as of yet it was not mounted and the third was placed at the north-west corner overlooking the street. Candance, Floyd and two others manned the south-west weapon as the one to the North-West were operated by Susie and two others. Work parties struggled in ankle deep, freezing water to wrestle up large stones onto a sled and take them back to the fort where, once inside, they were stacked at the base of the ramps or where space was permitted. The idea was that the water rounded stones would turn into bowling balls by the catapults and the goons would be the pins.

Everyone was waiting impatiently for this supposive "second group" to materialize. A messenger was sent out the night prior, and those left behind were left to wonder if he made it through or not. Hoping they would come during the light to detect any goon approach by night fall the group did not arrive and tension continued to rise. An hour pass dusk nothing happened. Two hours, again nothing. One by one, the defenders went inside to sleep until only that lone sentry on the roof, with a hot cup of cocoa in his hands, remained out to watch the fort.

Taking off his coat inside, Calvin sighed, no help was coming for his defenders. With the number that he had no way he could hold against numbers of killer snow men which could count into the hundreds of thousands. Just as the coat came off, the sentry shouted down, "Here they come!" Hurriedly redawning his coat, Calvin rushed outside, then looked up at the guard to show them where. Several others came tumbling out soon after heading to the West wall.

A soft voice called from the abyss, "Anyone there?" No one could recognized it. Unsure that it might be aruse, the defenders inside readied themselves with stones and sharpened stakes. "Who's out there?" shouted Calvin.

"I'm Ryan. Dang it, let us in!"

"Sounds human to me" Calvin looked at Hobbes.

Realizing it was not a ruse, ropes and a ladder were brought up and placed over the wall to permit those outside to get in. One by one the people came in. Unlike the first group these were better clothed and were in better condition. The last one over was a seven year old, short red haired boy identifying himself as Ryan. Smiling and shaking Calvin's hand with both of his Ryan looked at the house and the weaponry around him and let his jaw drop, "I wish I had these babies. We've been trapped in our house for three days by...by...snowmen. Ugly looking snowmen that were ripping up the windows and bashing at our doors. What the hell is going on?" looking at all the blank faces around him.

Hesitant to answer, Calvin told Ryan that he would explain when all members of his group were inside, and safe. One of their number was injured with bad ankles after he tried to run from goons early on and another was sick with the flu from exposure

Neither of them were able to fight. "Candance and I will tend to them" Susie announced taking those them inside as others were hustled in doors to eat and take off their soaked clothes. All their faces showed signs of slight malnutrition, ankles and muscles weak and their skin slight sunken. Cocoa and cheese crackers helped nourish their bodies. Ryan was treated in the kitchen, together with Hobbes, and Calvin, where their words could not be heard. Alone, he told his tale on how his group managed to hide from the enemy as he sipped on his cocoa. "It was horrible. My brother and me were playing in the front yard, then Christopher across the seat came running up, saying that snowmen had devoured Jake, his friend. At first we didn't believe him, Chris was always off his rocker," he nervously chuckled.

Hobbes nudged his friend and snickered.

"Then, we saw one of them, an oval shaped head with pine cone eyes, it seemed he was coming right for us. So, we ran inside, all three of us, and locked door." Pausing to sip his drink, Ryan looked at all of the faces. Hesitant to continue, he waited until pushed on by Susie, "Then, Nick, Sean, and Harold came in soon after. Harold was injured because a snowman chased after him and he tripped over some rocks under the snow. Sean and Nick helped him in but they did not have any coats or boots after running around outside." Susie emerged from the supply closet both arms full of canned food.

"You're safe now" Susie assured them. "We need everyone now to help build our fort"

"Fort?" looking up.

"Yes" Calvin spoke up, "With your help, we can build this place to be better than ever"

Ryan paused for a moment, took another sip, "Ok, where do you want us?"

No work for them tonight, just sleep and hot food. By her count, Susie estimated that there was enough to feed the entire garrison, up to fifty now, for a two weeks. Plenty of time, they hoped, for a rescue.

When the sun rose up everyone was bone tired. Tired of the madness, tired of the snowmen, tired of everything. Still, they went about their work, knowing that someone, somewhere, will find them. Ryan and his wild band of followers were tasked towards the South gate that bordered the street.

Seeing this spunky, older boy, inside the fort now, Mortimer felt a threat coming to him. His group was on it's own, the rich and the lower class. Now with this large group of others inside a small space, he and everyone else knew that an inner clash was coming. Susie and Candance moved the sick and wounded into her parent's bed room on the second floor. Their bed was queen size, able to take all of them. As they were being tended to, work teams went out to gather wood for the fire or to gather more stone. From the shed and from raiding the shed of a neighbor they found some hatchets and began felling sapplings and chopping them up to appropriate sizes.

Neither once were they challenged by the snow goons. Some wondered where they went. Did they run off? Melt? Or find more prey? Working his knuckles raw inside the small shed, Hobbes put the finishing touches to a total of six working small catapults. Though crude and not fancy looking, they were deadly nonetheless. With them mounted on snowy ramparts, the house turned fort began to take the appearance of a fortress. Bristling with prickily walls and protected with "cannon," the defenders begged for an adversary to challenge them. None came. Around noon, lunch was served. Taking up sitting spots all over, some on the ramps, others against the wall, or inside the house, the children ate mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese with milk.

Hobbes rested outside his shed, his work complete when he had run out of 2x4s. Tired of being cooped up inside the walls, the furry creature slipped over the wall, unseen, to recognitor the area and to get some air away from all the others. He reached the bordering hedge and jumped over however, as soon as he landed, he was greeted by groans and moans. "AUGH" he recoiled in shock. He landed right in the midst of several snow goons, spying on the fort. Battling to get out of their clutches, Hobbes rejumped the hedge, sprinting the rest of the way to the fort.

No one pursued him, and Hobbes jumped the wall inside, panting for breath. No one took notice of this event until Hobbes staggered inside to the kitchen where he found Calvin trying to rest and keep warm. When he saw his frost covered feline come in, Calvin was lost for words and after a minute he coughed, "What happened to you?" rising from his seat.

"Oh, just when for a stroll" nervously smirked Hobbes. When his breath finally calmed down enough, lead scout Hobbes reported, "I just ran into our little friends next door. I was unable to give a precise number of goons I saw" Hobbes confessed, "But, I know it's no few than thirty."

Alarmed, Calvin then asked if Hobbes could scout the rest of the area. Reluctant at first, Hobbes then asked, "Do I get a promotion?"

"Yes, yes," throwing up his hands, angry, "Whatever you want."

Outside, Hobbes climbed south wall and headed across the street. Those inside watched as the tiger disappeared from sight for an undetermined length of time. Worried that he may have been captured, Calvin wanted to join his friend outside. "No, you mustn't" Susie restrained him as they watched from the rampart. Kept inside, the boy watched in fear as the tiger was not seen. Minutes ticked by...

"I'm sure he's fine" Susie said, "He will make it"

"That lug nut couldn't win a fight against a girl. He's a sucker for them" mumbled Calvin with crossed arms.

"What was that?" Susie asked, picking up a hint.

"Nothing" gritting his teeth.

Fifteen...twenty...thirty minutes, no sign of the scout.

Then, something jumped a hedge to the West. At full flight came the tiger, as fast as his legs could take him. "There he is!" Calvin yelled, pointing him out. Everyone gathered just in time to see the tiger jump clean over the wall and land wellin side the compound with a heavy thud.

Dusting himself off Hobbes was greeted by his loud mouth friend coming down the rampart towards him, eager to learn what had been seen. Asking for a meeting indoors, out of earshot of the others, Calvin took Hobbes and eventually Susie as well. Sitting around the small table on a tile floor, out of breath, Hobbes took a napkin and a pen, and began to mark out where he saw goons on the same paper that Calvin had drawn out the fort's outline. "Here" he began to sketch out, "here, and here." There were areas that he saw goons, lots of them. All three lines were connected to one another, meaning that they were surrounded at three sides then he added another group to the south, in that outcropping.

"Hmmmmmmm" Calvin thought, "Now we know where the goons have gone. They are waiting to gather up their numbers to attack us," rather ignorant of the fact that he was surrounded and cut off.

Going over the map, the scout traced with his finger, "Here, here, and here" he said, "Dozens of them are grouping up across the street. I lost track after fifty, there are more, i'm sure. By the looks of it I say its a ruse. They will send these guys first, across the street, and have us focus on them and then the others will come from all sides." Sinking into his chair, Hobbes took a sip from his glass and sighed, "Looks like we are surrounded."

As soon as he said that, Ryan stepped in to what the commotion was about and heard the remark. Everyone froze, staring at the red haired boy in the door. He said nothing but left closing the door behind him. Hearts sank. Possibly Ryan would tell everyone the news he heard then panic would spread, possible desertion and abandonment. Even with the added firepower of the catapults, they felt that there was no way they could stand up to the might of the enemy army in the thousands. Stepping outside, Susie and Calvin wanted to confess their predicament to their comrades. Instead, they found the garrison either working or resting, no panic that they thought.

There was no sense in bothering everyone with the bad news now. They might attack or maybe not. Help was coming, so they thought, just hang tight. So, the only people that knew of the enemy was surrounding them remained silent.

Ryan and his comrades took up buckets and prepared their defense. Calvin tasked them to the main gate that faced the road. Already, it was bordered up with a large amount of snow. Before they started their work, Calvin came down to talk to them. "Hey, Ryan" Calvin said pulling him aside from the others, "Listen, I...can't thank you enough for coming to us."

"No sweat" said the red haired boy with a wide smile, "There is safety in numbers. Besides, it looks like you did a good job on this fort. Never saw anything like it" admiring all the defenses that were made."

"Thanks" replied Calvin, "But we still have much to do"

"No problem" said Ryan, "That's why we're here," holding up his bucket. Together, the team began piling up snow behind the gate in a horse shoe fashion. This would be his post. Once enough was congregated, the snow was doused in water to harden, then stakes were added for extra protection. Bryant and Clive broke off icicles that were dangling from the roof, cleared out a patch of snow in the compound behind Mortimer position, and began planting them, tips up. This sort of frozen punji stick trap was concealed by snow.


	6. Chapter 6

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

"Ryan and his companions are a big help" said Hobbes said with a smile as Calvin turned about and returned from his little talk with Ryan.

"Yeah, he's a big boost to our moral and work load" as he replied looking back as the group put on the finishing touches to their lunette and shoveled out the rest of the compound.

"Listen to you, acting the high colonel" smirked Hobbes as he stepped out into the open and took up two buckets of stone and moved them to the North-East corner of the house where the sixth and final catapult was waiting.

Calvin paused and just stared blankly at the walls. He was right "Good gravy" stunned, "Have I sounded like this long?" looking back at Hobbes. Coming up for an answer was easy for Hobbes, he noticed it just as they entered Susie's so called fort days prior, "Yes."

Thinking to himself, Calvin nodded knowingly then he glanced at his friend then back at the walls. "I just hope that this isn't a death trap" whispering.

Inside the house Susie was watching all this from a window overlooking the kitchen sink. Those walls were impressive to look at, and those "cannons" were intimidating, the unlocked strong arms were over six feet tall. Sigh. Clambering back down from her pedestal, she mossied over and took a calendar down from the wall near the refrigerator. Circled in red was Christmas, a good two weeks away, and marked with X were days of siege on her own house, now approaching it's fourth day. Her face was pale, not much sleep in those days, lots of work though but, she knew it was worth it because those creatures had been eradicated from her household, though at the loss of her parents. No way they were going to take this household, not again.

Since everything was going well in order, Calvin, along with his 1st Sergeant Hobbes sank away for another official meeting of G.R.O.S.S. "Tell me, lead scout, what provisions are in order in case an escape is necessary?" asked Calvin in a secluded area of the fort. Hobbes sat on the ice wall, his furry butt chilled but tolerated it's seat, his eyes looked about at all the fortifications, and his heart sank. "Supreme Dictator for life" he said, "There are no provisions for an evacuation of our fort."

How could that be? Then it was realized, all their work went to the weapons and walls, not towards a worst case scenario plan. "Good gravy. This must be fixed, immediately" Calvin barked.

"Yes, sir" jumping down. However, there was little Hobbes could do at this point. Night was falling, temperature as well. Most of all, resources were limited. "Everything is coming down to nail and board" said Hobbes as he went through the house for scrap wood. "We need sleds. Sleds to tow our wounded and supplies through the woods or anywhere else we need to go. We can't move by carrying all this on our backs."

All the spare wood had been chopped up and burned or was about to be. None of the sleds were to meet this fate, however to compensate for more weapons and straight saplings were to be sharpened to make spears. Some were fortunate to have metal bats but the wounded would be unable to protect themselves even with sticks. The power flickered back on and there was much rejoicing. Candance and Susie resorted providing two blow dryers to the wounded who saw this as a sick sense of humor as one was given the pink one. "What the heck are we suppose to do with these?"

"They are made of snow" Candance told him, "It will make them melt". It seemed rather foolish at the time, but it added a little measure of security for the defenseless.

Stakes were hammered into place around the fort, snow walls were reinforced, catapults moved into place and ranged. Ammunition by the pale full were unloaded at their side. For added effect, some were doused with water to give them a slippery, hard coating thought to be more deadly. Every one was busy as the afternoon wore on. Everyone had a task, no slacking off, except for that pitiful band in the north manned by Mortimer.

Susie and Candance were together inside the house. "My house could have sold for 450,000 thousand dollars, easily" the nerd told Candance as they watched her house being morphed into a porcupine. "But ever since that boy was born six years ago, not one house has been sold on this block."

"Oh, nonsense," Candance laughed. "It's not all that bad. He's doing quite a job in changing our fortunes."

"Yes, but you say this about a boy that once locked himself inside his own locker pretending to be a caped super hero. Stupid man or some sort."

By nightfall, work was still being continued. Slowly walking on top of the south brick wall Bryant could not tolerate this siege any further, "Come on and fight us you lousy..." followed by some colorful words. No one was there to listen at first, so he continued to his heart's content, bashing the goons intellect and the strength of their resolve. For several minutes he let out profanity on an elementary level then, when he had shouted himself hoarse, turned his gaze over an incomplete abatis near the South east wall, the same could be said for the North west section that were being worked on. "We'll fix them" muttering to himself as he dismounted his wall and hustled inside from the cold. The dinner bell was chimed and he and everyone else went inside and Billy rotated out for his sentry duty. Though, tired, groggy, and longing for home, their will to survive was still strong. Strong enough for someone to come along, and they did.

Darkness was falling fast. Up, alone at his perch, Billy continued to survey the glowing land around him. He did not mind sentry duty, it beat working all day. Everything was quiet. Everyone was inside, trying to catch a few hours of fitful sleep, munching on some food. Television was conked out, so there was not much in the way of entertainment. Folding his arms around his chest, he sat rocking slightly back and forth on his perch, eyes surveying the darkness around him. His eyes caught some movement to the South, across the road. Taking a fix to it, his blood pumped, he shouted down to those below, "Here they come!"

Those that heard him, relayed it to those inside and there began a massive spill as children rushed downstairs and out the door to their posts, whilst trying to put on their coats and boots. Outside the walls, the defenders saw goons, hundreds of them, charging in long lines two to three ranks deep from the South and West. There was no announcement, no trumpets signaling the charge, no prior warning, just a surprise charge. Upon seeing this for himself, Mortimer began to feel shaken, seeing the hundreds of snowmen coming right for him, "We can't win this" he said to himself, then promptly abandoned the wall, even before the battle got fully underway. Calvin's people did not break so easily. Yes, they saw the goons, their impressive numbers, but they were confident that their fortifications could hold them, even though they were not complete. After seeing to it that everyone was displaced to their posts, Calvin and Hobbes turned to their mobile catapult near the front door of the house.

"Well, 'ol buddy, guess this is it" Calvin said as he threw his scarf around his neck.

"Yep, I reckon it is" replied Hobbes as he readied his weapon, but he stopped and looked at his friend, "I'll see you when this is all over." They shook hands, just then, Ryan came up, "Well, I didn't really know you that well, but at least we won't die alone," the red haired smirked. Calvin remained cold face, patted the boy's shoulder, and both went their separate ways.

With his catapult loaded and waiting, Hobbes took it upon himself to add a little spice. Pulling out a plastic container of gasoline, he proceeded to douse the stones in this hydrocarbon. Striking a match, he grinned, "This should be fun." Just dangling the flame above the soup he dropped it where the gas instantly ignited. Immediately giving the command to fire the lanyard was pulled, the lock released, the arm snapped forward and the rocks went skyward, scattered widely as confetti and began to rain fiery death onto those great many lumbering beasts, casting an eerie, faint glow on the horizon. The battle was on.


	7. Chapter 7

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

Up on the ramparts, Candace came running up, after leaving her patients to tend to themselves in order to join the fight. At her side was Floyd, Keith, and Rocco, two relatively unknown brothers from down the street. Fire from Hobbes's first shot had since burned out and the sun had no disappeared behind houses to the west, giving an eerie semi darkness around them illuminated by the outside lights of the house now powered by the restored electricity. Even so, they could see their adversaries coming towards them, and let them have it.

Picking up stones from the buckets Candace and Floyd threw over the wall, "Yeh!" "Yeh!" and one goon fell, head splattered apart twenty feet short. A heavy stone tumbled over their heads after being unleashed by Keith and Rocco from their catapult. It struck the ground and began to roll sweeping up those in its way just as planned. Their weapons were proving effective snatching up perhaps ten goons before rolling to a stop by the street. However the swath it generated was immediately swallowed up by the other goons as they continued to approach, inching towards the wall.

Behind them Calvin shouted the command, "Ready, fire!" lowering his arm. Yanking on the laynard, Hobbes unleashed a load of smaller rock that went arched skyward over the wall to the North-West and rained down on their adversaries like hail in a storm. Snow goons began to fall in heaps, their heads peppered sometimes as much as five times the stones pierced straight through their bodies. Their front ranks were devestated and those behind faltered for a moment. Those first ranks comprised of the largest and most hideous looking goons, aborbed the torrent and when they fell the rear ranks faltered then shoot off their hesitation and rolled over their bodies and inched even closer. Their blood flowing rapidly from the excitement of battle Candace threw another handful of small rocks then, after seeing a tall beast crumble, she reached down to fetch more ammunition and something caught her green eyes. All of those large goons were gone, killed by their combined fire leaving only the much small but still deadly in number goons behind charging forth. "God, they were meat shields!" she turned her head to say to Floyd whom was heaving rocks as rapidly as he could though not as accurately. "What's that?" he replied never looking at her.

"Nevermind, just keep at 'em," she shook her head.

Waiting nearby were members of Ryan's company. From behind their lunette and on small ramparts flanking the gates they braced for an attack half were ready with stones and the other with spears. Here, many heads peered over to see nothing but inky blackness. All the action seemed to be going on to their left and many wanted to go to where it was however Ryan kept them in place. The catapult snapped and their heads swiveled back to see a scattered cloud of gray and brown stones soar into the night as the tempo of combined roar and screams from their adversary heightened ever more. Looking at the rampart Candace and Floyd had emptied their first buckets of stones and the girl ran down the ramp to fetch two more that were stacked at the base. On the way up her mouth was open, panting hard, but nothing came out or it was lost in the noise around her.

"Here they come!" Harold screamed.

Goons materialized from across the street charging full tilt giving off a deafening blood curtling roars as they reached the gate. This chilled the defenders even more than the winter weather. Multiarmed beasts, goons four arms or more, came forth their faces bedeviled with crooked smiles and blood red eyes as they began to hurl snow and rock at the walls like a machine gun, pelting the defenders. One struck the edge of the brick wall and struck Harold in his right eye knocking him off his platform. Holding a gloved hand over his eye he screamed, rolled over onto his stomach, and began to crawl towards the house. Ryan jumped the lunette and fetched his friend and carried him to the front door of the house. He was bleeding but he could not take any time away from his position for goons were already starting to scale the wall in large numbers. Beside him Peter and Devon waited still with spears as they watched the gate buckle as goons smashed again and again. Several logs were added to the metal fence to reinforce the lock however they would not hold up. Candace's catapult let loose again and there were cheers as it cut down perhaps twenty of them at once then Ryan's eyes gaze back on the gate, "I wonder how much more it can take" asked Devon clearly scared.

"It will hold as long as we do" Ryan remarked, picking up a stone from a bucket, he watched as the other members of his company at the wall continued to hurl their weapons at them, unflinching, unnerved, they wanted revenge and they let it be known with each scream.

In the south-west corner of the fort Susie charged up to a twin set of catapults with a cluster of children that had varying degrees of experience in operating. "Stick together" she told them, "And we'll make it." She organized them quickly, putting someon the catapults, the others dispersed along the wall as riflemen, albiet not using real rifles. From the darkness came their foe. Charcoal eyes showed anger, their fangs were icicles, their arms reached for them as they charged across the open field towards the ice wall. Steadfast, the defenders waited, waiting for the command to deal a crippling volley. Inching closer, the weary eyes of the children looked at Susie as she stood by her weapons as were bewildered. What was she waiting for?

"Ready!" she screamed, raising an arm up. Her teams readied themselves, some with stones in hand, others clenched the release ropes for the catapult. Snow goons pressed up, almost coming into contact with the wall when the girl finally gave the order. "Fire!" swinging her arm down in a chop. All at once, a volley of rock and stone went from one wall into the wall of ugly fiends, their limbs became severed, heads smashed, bodies fell. Taking up more rock, children showed their heads their parapet, selected their targets carefully as they came onto them then hurled their weapons, then dropped back down to reload as a second group stepped forward to loose their volley. The impact of rocks striking snow, piff piff piff, was soon drowned out, SNAP BAM BAM BAM as catapults came into action. With their deadly loads of canister,they ripped clean through their bodies, often going through two or three with ease. Where once goons were so feared now they were nothing more than targets and the children began to laugh. In just the first three or so minutes Susie estimated that they slay forty goons. So many bodies became piled up in front of their wall it created a second wall that goons had to move around in order to advance. Breaking upon the breakwater of their killed comrades the goons, to the surprise of the garrison they began to back up and disappeared back into the darkness. At their feet lay the withering bodies of dead and dying goons. One continued to claw its way forward over the bodies of the dead but taking up a spear one of the boys stabbed him through the head with a good throw.

A moment of respite, Susie stopped the cheering and had everyone reload. The half used buckets were exchanged for full ones as a deafening roar pierced their ears. Their heads looked back over the landscape and from the blackness came a rumble of heavy gurths moving across the white blanket. Staring, wide eyed, over the wall, Travis O' Rorke, a dark brown haired, brown eyed six year old with Mortimer's group saw as many as five hundred of the biggest snow goons anyone had ever seen coming right for him. Some took after their supposive leader and fled without putting up a fight while others took heart of their work and Calvin's notion that they will survive, if only they stay together. Travis and Oliver were amongst those that joined in the flight, running upstairs and barricaded themselves inside Susie's parent's bathroom along side the sick and wounded. Still, some at least decided to stand their ground and began to throw stone at this emence tidal wave barreling towards them. Their words of warning were drowned out by neverending drone emenating from the hundreds of goons that sailed right up to the wall and began to tear through and up it as if it were nothing. Though their catapult was loaded to the brim with stone when it was unleashed it did absolutely nothing except go over their heads for the crew panicked and did not set their sights correctly by cocking the arm all the way back instead of half or less that would have dropped the rounds short and in their midst.

Taking up their sticks and stones the five relatively unknowns, Vincent, Queens, Polls, Jacob, and Hanson all came with Mortimer. All five were from wealthly families, but their principals were different than that of their fearless leader. Instead of fleeing, they chose to fight, despite the ratio against them. As goons ripped through the palisade and came for them, Craig Queens and Phillip Polls stuck to their catapult and pulled back down the arm again, this time to the right setting, and loaded it up to the brim and unleashed it. Five goons were riddled from head to toe and fell. Next to them the others kept up a wall of hand thrown stone that was accurate and deadly. There were patches in the walls created by the freezing of water that made it too slick to climb upon and when the goons found these patches they began to hack and chisel foot holds in which to reach their enemies. Now close enough to look them in the eye these five brave defenders took up clubs and prepared for hand-to-hand fighting. One climbed over and grabbed Polls next to his catapult, but Queens swung down a bat onto the goons head with a screech, killing it. Kicking his way back backwards Polls stood back up and snatched his wood club as three more mounted the rampart. Raising their clubs above their heads the two let out a yell and charged.

Elsewhere, Calvin, Hobbes, Susie, and Ryan were also holding strong, and gave their besiegers something to remember. Going about his task of unleashing his catapult, Hobbes and his crew did not notice the crisis unfolding behind him until several of Mortimer's men came running back, screaming, eyes full of fright. Looking around the house peering into the darkness where light was dim from a single back door light. He saw the wall manned by Mortimer's men being scaled onmasse, "They're over the wall, turn it around!" he roared above the shrieks and cries around him but when his command was not heard he grasped the front of the weapon and began to do himself before the crew helped rather perplexed that the enemy had breached the wall. Turning the weapon around nearly one hundred eighty degrees and the basket was ordered to be loaded with as much stone as possible. Looking at the shadows running to and away from the fight Hobbes could see that a few kids still there, in the line of fire. Those five were still slugging it out there despite the fact they were becoming surrounded by vastily superior forces. For them it was a school yard brawl. The boys cursed and taunted over a victory and shrieked and cried when they were struck and injured. "We have to help them" Calvin called out.

"We can't" argued Hobbes, "They are too many. Wait till we give them a little of this," patting the cocked arm of his catapult.

Fearful of what it meant Calvin told him that it could hit their own, "It's worth it" the tiger replied. With no other recourse but to fire, Hobbes gave the other. "Fire!"

Bodies, limbs, and heads splattered, severed, and dropped, also did those brave souls. Tagging Bryant to go with him, Calvin dashed through the melee to retrieve the bodies. Running up to the catapult Calvin found a body drapped over the weapon's base. His face was bloodgent but the boy was very much alive though he did not know who it was. Bryant also found a live one at the foot of the ramp his jacket torn to shreds and bruises were beginning to show on his neck and hands. Though dazed from several blows Queens and Jacob staggered to their feet and seeing Calvin come down the ramp dragging a body in tow they followed him and along the way found the body of their fifth friend; Hanson. Moving as quickly as possible around the house unveiling Hobbes's catapult the tiger ordered salvo after salvo as the goons started remounting the walls. Every snap of the arm would clear them away but in just a few second they would materialize again. It seemed that no amount of fire coming from Hobbes could stave them off for long. Dragging the bodies with them to the front of the house Calvin paused to catch his breath as Ryan looked back from his position. He flashed a smile and returned to his work. Jacob came by and told Calvin, "You go and get them inside!" brandishing a stick in both hands, "We'll keep them busy." Queens and Polls helped the wounded inside with Jacobs as Calvin tried to return to his friend's side. A rock struck one of Hobbes' crew members, a youth named Charlie that was a very quiet boy wearing a blue jacket and green blaclava that covered his entire face save his eyes and mouth. The cotton helmet absorbed some of the blow but the boy was knocked to the ground but he quickly climbed back to his feet and in a daze looked around him. "You okay?" Hobbes touched Charlie's shoulder and looked down at him.

"Yeah, yeah" he smiled brushing it off, "It's all good." Hobbes returned to working his piece and when his back was turned Charlie picked up a discarded spear and suddenly sprinted towards the goons that were gathering around Mortimer's position. Hundreds of eyes fell on the boy as he screamed in a suicidal charge that everyone else could only marvel at. Not wanting to see what would become of the boy Hobbes turned away. The fort was breached, they needed to get inside, fast.

Goons in the south were also massing up at the gate and below all of the ramparts. It was becoming too dangerous to even look over the thick walls to lob a stone for goons would reach up, grasp hold their prey, and hurl them over to their side. One struggled over the bodies of its slain comrades and succeeded in reaching the summit only to have its face splattered by a point blank range rock thrown by Devon. Its body slid back down to rest with the others and was trampled by a growing amount of goons. Another roared up and Candace swung a aluminum bat that obliterated that ones face. With two down, four more came up and over. Fighting grew to deadly hand to hand combat. Mere children the four souls battled and killed them all and then their bodies off the rampart to make room. Once those were dealt with eight more came chugging up mounted the wall and spilled into the compund.

Knowing full well that their weapon was useless with the enemy now underneth them Candace placed a hand on the strong arm of the catapult and shouted to her friends to "take this thing down the ramp" but as soon as those words left her lips a skeleton arm reached over and grasped her body. She screeched a high pitch yell as her body was flung over like raw meat to hungry wolves outside the fort. Keith and Rocco, racked by the suddent death of Candace, they froze in place until someone punched their shoulders and their retirement continued heaving the bulky weapon down the snowy slope and into the compound where they lined it up behind Ryan's lunette as the buckets of ammunition stacked at the base of the ramp were snatched up and ferried with them.

Neither one of them realized that in the north the fort was breached until they saw Mortimer's wounded were carried inside and the fright in some of their eyes. In the darkness Keith peered around and then called out, "What's going on?" He was bewildered by the loss of Candance and perhaps many others.

"The fort's been breached" Calvin confessed as he started towards the door. "Shoot them as quickly as you can then fall back into the house." His words were loud but calm and it settled the boy's mind. Reworking their weapons Hobbes continued to use his muscle in loading and firing his tiny weapon as many times as he could until, under all that continual stress, the strong arm snapped like a twig, "Darn cheap import" he cursed kicking its base with his hind paw. Now useless Hobbes direct Keith, and Rocco to go with Calvin into the house as he will cover their retreat.


	8. Chapter 8

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

Still at her post as the West wall Susie, along with her crews on the two pieces, were thwarting snow goons attempts from gaining this portion of the wall. Salvos of rock flung forth from their catapults had chewed up their formations, dead were stacked five feet high, and many more were wounded, limbs severed or their torsos pierced many times over. Goons showed no mercy; not even to their own. If one slowed it was shoved or knocked down to make room for fresh troops to come through. The amount of moans and groans from their mouths was mounting to where it nearly drowned out all other sounds. Those next to Susie had to shout inches from her ear in order to be heard. Still though the group kept up their fire, rocks tumbled and hissed in the cold air past their heads.

When their second attack began to falter the goons retracted into the darkness. "Hurry, bring up the rest of the rocks!" Susie turned to a boy that was next to her. Touching the shoulder of a girl next to him the two raced down the ramp and each grabbed two pales of stones and came hustling back. Just when they set down the pales the goons let out a roar announcing their return to the field and they came out in a solid line twenty abreast and four ranks deep. A catapult snapped hurling a six pound boulder over the wall landing directing onto one goon and began rolling into the ranks behind.

Standing as a Gibraltar of the fort Susie kept directing her small crew to their task whilst looking left and right at the other positions that she could see in the little light emanating from the house. There was a small porch light in the back and front of the house and another in front of the shed, this was not enough to illuminating the entire landscape and not much made it over the wall to show the landscape, however it was enough to show a few feet beyond the wall. Despite the intense fire some goons made it to the wall and began to rip into it with their claws, then to add horror some took chucks of the ice and began to hurl it back at the defenders. None of their returns were hitting the defenders but it did startle them and cause to duck and weave more and more than hurl stones. For this just a couple of goons reaching the walls multiplied to four and then eight.

It seemed to be worked out into a leap frog method. A goon would sally forth and rip a chunk from the wall and be cut down as a second would take it up and hurl it and be slain followed by a third that would repeat the process. This process was time consuming and many were lost thus others sought to be individuals and scale the slippery slope themselves. Again, this was causing the defenders grief for it was not at just one or two places but in half a dozen forcing the defensive fire to be split rather than focused on one threatened point. To the left of the battery two goons succeeded in mounting the wall and were greeted by the wail of two defenders brandishing bats and sticks swatting at these flies on a window sill. Down the attackers went before being able to enter the compound. They were holding here, but not too far away their situation was becoming desperate. Susie glanced to her right to the catapult overlooking the road and saw it being wheeled down the ramp and retreating back to the house. What was going on? She did not know and sent someone to go to see. If they were retreating then they were in danger of being isolated.

That catapult that was retracted back to the front of the house was loaded, but no one knew which way to direct its fire. There were perhaps twenty kids gathered with two catapults forming the second line of defense when a figure came sprinting across the shoveled grass and stopped in front of Calvin easily distinguishable by his red beanie with a matching fuzz ball on top on his crown. Panting for breath the boy said, "Susie's wandering what we should do."

"Tell her," Calvin began, "To move here and bring her catapults with her."

The boy nodded and began to rush back, "Hurry!" Calvin shouted spurring him faster.

Neither Susie nor anyone else with her understood that the goons had penetrated to the South-East and were coming in vast numbers and now they were mounting to the South too quickly for Ryan's company to deal with them. With two kids leading the catapults and two holding the trails to prevent it from running rampant Susie directed the withdrawal. Looking left she could faintly see the catapult there still snapping away. She called out to them with hands cupped around her mouth, "Retreat to the front of the house." She paused for a moment to see if her words were heard. A boy on the ramp turned to look at her and she waved a gloved hand, but the boy turned and resumed his work oblivious to the order. Cursing under her breath Susie turned and joined the rest in their gathering in the front of the house. There was that piece and those in that isolated position to the South. They were people, people that they needed. Susie grasped the shoulder of the first person they came across and directed them to go to those catapults and have them retreat back here. The kid's face was bleach white with fear but Susie was firm in her direction and the boy took off.

Outside the walls the snow goons took note of the slackening fire and began to converge quickly. Billy saw them and began shouting down what he saw from both the East and the South after seeing them abandon their attacks on the South and South-West position because of casualties. Now they were moving to the west and South-East, areas that had been abandoned. "Good gravy. They're getting smarter," the thought chilled his insides.

Now in several areas the thick snow and red brick walls were begin scaled on masse. Looking up from his lunette Ryan noticed that now the gate was about to be ripped from its hinges after constant beatings. Next to him his friends were lathered in sweat, their jackets soaked, and under their hats were droplets of sweat streaking down their cheeks. "This is it. Get ready!" he said. All those around him readied stones and leveled their spears. One good charge and the gate was flung open and the goons came in. "Now!" their redhead leader cried.

Unleashing a crippling volley that felled perhaps twenty but those behind rolled over them. One was struck, recoiled a little, then came right back towards the lunette. Ryan screamed "Die! Die! Die!" heaving stones over the low wall until it staggered and fell on one of the projecting stakes in front of the position, right through its icy heart. At his back stood Calvin receiving the arrival of Susie's company, but what of the other two posts that were on the opposite side of the house. The messenger made it to the South-West bastion to relay the order and ran to the last one when goons came crashing over the wall and immediately swallowed up the catapult and its crew before they had a chance. The messenger saw them being flung or carried into the corpse of tree kicking and screaming. The messenger came back huffing and spilled out what he saw for all to hear and there were many gasps and worried faces, but Calvin refused to be submitted to the mob rule and proclaimed that there be order. No panic, no screaming the defenders readied themselves for what would be the last push, the core of the goon's force. Still at his post Ryan finished off the last of those that made it through the breach and stared at the black abyss. "This is it!" he cried, "Victory of Death!" From the gate came a cluster of eight foot goons slapping away the bodies of their dead to make a way for them. Three charged the horseshoe emplacement, one was hit and fell, a second was impaled soon after by a stake, and the third made it to them only to fall and be beaten to death with sticks. Their adrenalin pumping Ryan and his friends cried for more; savages and their prayers were answered. From the very gate came much more of the screaming, moaning, hissing animals that Calvin himself created.

Watching with wide eyes, Calvin and everyone else stood still as a tidal wave of white chugged forth and immediately swallowed up Ryan and three of his stalwart friends. Letting go with everything they had the defenders cleared them out, but Ryan and the others were gone, carried or hurled over the wall unable to be retrieved. With the news that the south bastion was lost and being converged on from three sides it was useless to fight out in the open any further. Shouting as hard as he could in the cold heavy air to relay that order the others around him swiveled their heads around and then began to rush for the door. It was not orderly, four or five kids tried to force their way in at once and when the clog could not be cleared Hobbes shoved them in with all of his might and threw those that fell down in individually. Looking around him the goons were swarming as ants on a cracker. Hobbes took up the can of gasoline and ordered his crew to retreat into the house. As he was about to enter a kid came running around the house from the West side. His face streaked with blood, mouth hung open, hat and one glove were gone. He staggered up to the tiger and fell onto the porch. Looking down his jacket was cut up from countless strikes. "I gotcha" the tiger said softly as he picked up the kid and carried him inside then returned threw anything flammable onto the patio and doused it with some gasoline.

As the goons encroached on his position he struck a match against the door frame, smiled, and dropped it on the pool in true Hollywood style and up it went.


	9. Chapter 9

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

WOOSH!

Up the flames went, blackening the door and the wall around it but denying the enemy from entering in those precious few seconds it took to move the refrigerator to block the door. The perimeter had been breached, the house was surrounded by hundreds, and the survivors braced themselves for the next, and perhaps final attack.

Hobbes rushed to a window and peered outside, his hot breath quickly fogging it up. Wiping it away with his white paw he could see the South wall as goons streamed up and over, and there were some defenders being dragged away. Calvin nudged his way to get a look and saw for himself as boys and girls being taken over the wall, "Where are they going?" he asked, but Hobbes had no idea.

When the door was braced Hobbes looked upstairs where most of the survivors went. "Get up there!" the tiger panted as goons began to shove their way in.

Obeying the command Calvin rushed up the stairs. As he went he saw a wall clock still ticking and in his mind he calculated that the total elapsed time was just shy of thirty minutes.

Bracing the door with his body Hobbes found a discarded baseball bat, "Okay you putz, let's rumble!"

At the top of the stairs Calvin found Susie directing those left to begin barricading the stairway, "Give me some wood!" one called out as he tried to sally up a gap on the right side of the hall, "There is no more," Susie immediately replied. Calvin shoved his way to the girl's room and began to rip apart the bed with a bat.

"No! Not my bed! My grandmother gave it to me," she wept.

"Too bad," Calvin huffed as he broke off the foot board of high polished oak, "She'll get you a new one."

The kids were scared, it could be seen in their eyes. Some huddled in the hall or in separate rooms but Susie did not want them to be and took them out to prepare to fight and shoved a weapon into each of their hands.

"Hobbes, get up here!" Calvin's raspy voice called down the stairway as the barricade continued to go up. The immediate reply was a mixture of animal roars and shrieks of the enemy as they hacked their way in.

"On my way" the animal curtly replied.

As he darted up the stairs the tiger grumbled how everything was wasted, no barricade for the stairs immediately in place in case of such an emergency, "They're on their way up now" his eyes were jutted open and red as he yelled at Calvin whilst climbing over the barricade of furniture pieces, "We've got nothing here to stop them with." Despite his friend yelling in his ear Calvin ignored him, either purposely or just being wound up by emotion, all he could think was the loss of Ryan and those at the lunette, being rolled over just as when his parent's car lost its brake and crashed across the street. The goons were juggernauts and those kids were not even speed bumps. Catapults were lost, all their supply of stones were outside and now useless. Best that they could do was the old fashion rain of debris. This part of the fight was already underway. Susie and her former crew were throwing down baseballs, footballs, all her balls.

"That's it, use whatever you can" she shouted standing in a window with pool balls dropping them onto their heads, "Keep them back! Keep them away from the doors!" In a window overlooking the back yard, Hobbes got a visual on what he saw earlier. "There they are" muttering to himself as goons were dragging kids by their ankles around, behind the corpse of trees.

"Good gravy!" shouted Calvin, taking a step back from the window, flabbergasted, "They coordinated an attack. They actually hit us in the right spots." His face fell. Intelligence, how? These goons were actually learning to the point they can move in large numbers, far more than the garrison possessed. Those creatures, those that he created, were getting smarter. How smart are they now, or how much more could they be after this battle?

Downstairs, glass shattered, framework for windows began to splinter. They were breaking in. Up above, the shudders were thrown open above Susie's doorways. From up above came a rain of heavy items onto this white convulsing mass of ice and sticks. Parts of beds, dressers, anything that could be manhandled from rooms were pushed to Hobbes whom lifted and shoved them out the windows. Either by ones or two, sometimes in small groups, goons were crushed only to have their remains be shoved aside to let a fresh batch to take a whack at these obstacles. Their human opponents were battling to their hearts content. There was little planning at this stage of the battle. No stones and they were running out of furniture fast. Susie's room was nearly striped cleaned, but it was not enough, and through that one door out in front the goons made headway and by ones they filed into the warm house rolling over the bodies of their many dead without a thought.

Heaving out a dresser drawer Hobbes looked down at this mass and something in his mind clicked. "I'll be right back" he departed suddenly and jumped over the barricade and went downstairs. Children watched, stunned. Where was he going? Did he show the white feather? Turn tail and run? No, the great tiger was not fleeing, but what he needed was where the enemy was, and when he came running back a goon took a swipe at him and ripped out some strands of his orange fur. It was not the gas can that he had before, it was now empty, but what he did have was just as good, some heating oil that they obtained in a raid. As articles of wood and stone continued to rain down on them, something spicy was added as well. "Where did you get that?" Susie asked as Hobbes used a razor sharp claw to open the can, "From a good neighbor," he smiled removing the cap. For a wick, he ripped out a sizable piece of cloth from Susie's bed.

"No!" protesting this act of vandalism loudly, "You took my bed, all my other furniture, take the toilet, but not my bed sheets, please!" Her pleas went unanswered. Hobbes doused the cloth and stuck in to the can's mouth. "I need a match" asking his companions. Calvin stepped forward, taking out from his pocket, a large box of strike matches. "Where did you get THOSE?" Susie asked again. "From your kitchen" the boy replied, handing it to Hobbes.

"You two have been snooping around in my house and stealing stuff?"

"Blah blah blah" mimicking her and the two carried on with their task.

"She's cute when she's angry" muttered Hobbes with a smirk as a match struck up his wick. Overlooking this congested mass below, he yelled, "Time for a winter barbecue" then spiked it to the ground. When that large scale Molotov cocktail hit the porch, gas and flame met, creating an unbelievable fireball that generated a heat wave that could be felt all the way up to the second floor and incinerate everything in an immediate radius. Smoke, stench of burning wood, and gurgling groans of dying goons mark their success as survivors looked outside from the other windows. "Woohoo!" they exclaimed as they watched their foe die slowly.

This moment of joy was quickly shattered, just like the weak locks down below as the goons covered the entire ground floor. In their haste to escape upstairs, no one bothered to set the thermometer high in order to melt them. It did not matter anyway for it was smashed soon afterward their break in. Those in the hallway upstairs heard a crash of wood and shatter of glass, and promptly, they scattered like chaff in the wind. Their moans bounced around the interior of the household, magnifying it to beyond regular levels. To those little children it sounded as though thousands were just down the stairs and not the mere dozens that were. A whole new aspect of warfare, PsyOps, Psychological attacks that could break an enemies' will to fight without firing a shot, and a simple method is: intimidation. A few remained at the barricade held fast by the Susie's stout will and fist as others scattered as chaff to the window into various rooms they went; those gallant children that once numbering fifty, now less than two dozen, their discipline broke, it was every man for themselves now. Candace was gone; Susie did not know it until now when she asked others and they told of the horror of her being tossed over the wall as a beef treat for a dog. Shaking it off she kept four boys and another girl at the barricade with their bats and sticks. Their fortification had many loopholes, gaps in between furniture that allowed their sharpened weapons jutting out to stab their enemies from safety. As the first goons came up, they easily dwarfed the children, their width brushing the walls of the corridor, mouths agape, lanky arms reaching for them.

Susie kept them at their posts, others ran, but this will not be allowed to become a series of gallant last stands, at least for her. Sean, Harold, Dilbert, and Nick, with Brianna were those under her charge, their still gloved hands gripped tightly their weapons as the first goons sloshed up to the barricade, "Stab them!" they poked yet their blades either glanced off the ice body or did not go deep enough. "Harder! Stab them! Kill them!" Susie screamed, her voice becoming hoarser that she coughed after finishing.

Giving a glance backward, down the hallway, where there were many doors they were all shut, except one, the bathroom where the tiger, Calvin, and Floyd found themselves rummaging through the cabinets. "What are those buffoons up to?" she wondered to herself. The goons' body slammed hard but the barricade remained in place. "Stab! Stab! Stab!" she commanded and they did and the goon fell, his body blocking the way. That would buy them some time, maybe a few seconds.

They could not set the place on fire, not her home. Where could they go if they did such a thing? Granted it would kill many of the enemy but being as they were smart they would not stay around and dance in the flames but disperse into the darkness. Susie and her group still held on as Hobbes and Calvin retreated to Susie's room with arm loads of goods, then Calvin peeked his head out and told her to move.

"Fall back!" Susie gave the command and her group hurriedly moved to her room. The instant they left the barricade was ripped apart and Floyd was caught in the hallway, a deer in the headlights. Instead of moving in with the others he turned and went back into the bathroom and shut up in there. "What a hell of a way to go" he cursed himself as he wedged his small body between the toilet and the tub.

Mortimer, Oliver and, and O'Rourke barricaded themselves into Susie's parent's bathroom, they cowered inside that large shower, three kids in a tub. Even with three they were not a fighting force. Outside, they could hear the lumbering beasts moving about. Moaning, roaring, looking for their prey after they took apart the barricade and now roamed the hall and coming upon a door they began to bang against it.

"If only we did what that kid did when he was home alone" Calvin cursed, "With the buckets at the stairs." That plan may have stalled for time, but would not stop their juggernaut enemies. It was undeniable. At the top at last, the goons turned down the hallway and found four doors to four different rooms and a bathroom. Calvin gulped, a rock in his hand wearily looking forward at the door. Hobbes was beside him, a bat ready. Susie was unarmed.

"I didn't mean for it to go like this" Calvin spoke to them.

"At least we get to die together" Hobbes smiled up at him. It was a somber moment, final words before that door came crashing down and those defenders made their last stand. To go down swinging, fighting, never surrendering. It would have happened that way, had not Calvin had a change of thought.

"No one has to die" he muttered.

"What?" asked Susie to his left-rear.

"No one else has to die," he repeated. In the corner sat two wounded children huddling, clutching one another, "We are getting out of this."

"How?" they asked.

He approached the door, putting an ear to it. There were goons moving about, how many he was not certain. "If" he said looking back to them, "We can fight our way down the stairs and to the creek..."

"But" Hobbes interrupted, "You saw them coming out from the corpse of trees. It's an ambush. Besides, why go down the hallway when we could jump out the window?" he looked out that one only window himself, only to find goons crowded around directly below. "OK, I'm with you" the tiger changed his mind.

In the other rooms, no one had knowledge of this break out attempt. For all they knew, they were on their own. Oliver, O'Rourke, and Mortimer were locked the bathroom, the remainder of their company were now lost outside. Among those was that little boy, Travis. Each door was being knocked on loudly. Thuds and bangs, scratched, and moans followed the wails of children. They wanted in, the kids wanted out.

"Who is with me?" asked Calvin, looking at his rag tag survivors. Some clutched sticks and bats, others stones, some had nothing, but each one wanted out, and now. Moving towards her now bulging door, Susie waited impatiently. Calvin took hold of the cold brass knob, pressing his body against the adjacent wall. "1...2..." Calvin said, silently undoing the turn lock, "3!" the door was flung open and out stepped the boy and his deranged tiger. Shouting at the top of his lungs, Calvin threw his stone, hitting one directly in its pockmarked face, and instantly took it down. Hobbes swung his bat, taking the head off another. More were trying to come up but their bodies were too wide for the narrow stairway thus they were coming one at a time. Hobbes fought his way towards them, swinging his bat madly, taking off heads left and right. Reaching the site of the barricade he killed one mounting it and shoved its body onto those coming up creating a domino effect.

Hearing shouts and fighting going on outside, survivors in those other rooms began to wonder what was happening. "I think they are fighting to escape" said one, trapped in the guest bedroom across from the parent's room. "Then we should as well" replied another. This party, about five in number, agreed unanimously, they wanted out just as badly. At that moment, their door came crashing in, goons charge into its interior, but the children fought viciously, showing that they had nothing to lose in this stage of the battle, and everything to gain. A child actually jumped onto one of his attackers and began to punch its oval shaped head in until it finally died. With all their opponents slain, the children hustled out into the hallway to find Calvin's group fighting their way through the congested hall towards the stairs. A great break out was underway. At two points, the children battled. Trapped, hampered by their own girth and narrow walls, all the goons upstairs were being slain from two sides. Their bodies inside were unruly, could not turn around fast enough. However, that was only part of the plan. Going down it was tedious, for there were so many of the snow goons packed inside and more were forcing their way through, it was a full house. Swinging clubs and screaming war yells, the children descended to the first floor, "To the back!" screamed Calvin, in the lead as he pointed to the back door. Shoving a goon against the wall as he went Hobbes was right behind and finished him off with a mighty swing.

Flustered by slipping over several bodies and with more and more reinforcements entering the house through the kitchen Calvin muscled his way towards the back, climbing over the bodies and slipping on the water soaked floor. The door was open, knocked completely free, thus it would a rapid exit. Nearby windows were also gone despite being barricaded. "Darn boards" Hobbes was cursing at their own fortifications.

"Hobbes, help!" Calvin called out as a goon shoved his way inside and grasped the spry boy in his skeleton arms. With mighty strength, the tiger pulled the boy free and dropped the bat onto the goons' crown. The way was clear. "Hurry!" others cried together. Goons were coming for them from all sides. There was nothing left in which to the stop them except run, run far, run fast. Going by ones, an arm's length from each other the kids went as goons came at them from other rooms and especially from the kitchen. They were coming fast. The last one down the stairs jerked his head to the right and there was one right there, crippled but still in the fight and reached for him, those five inch fingers brushing the cotton jacket of his. The children raced out in an uncoordinated fashion. Here, it was every man for himself once more, but Calvin did not want it to be yelling "Follow me!" On the way they gathered their sleds that were stashed by the shed; their destination was the creek.

Glancing over his shoulder to see whom was with him, all Calvin saw was Hobbes, Susie, and a string of others and not the entire remnant of the garrison as he hoped. Cursing to himself, "Darn it" he reached the South wall rampart where the crew members put up a brief defense. The catapult was broken, the strong arm snapped thus useless. Mounting the wall he paused and had the others go past him, climbing over to the other side with Hobbes leading the way. As they went the boy looked back at his fort, the goons were now aware of their presence and beginning to come towards them whilst others were still inside about to finish off those still trapped. "Come on, guys, get out of there," he wanted to say but his voice did not work. He gasped several times, coughed, nothing. He felt the warm paws of Hobbes grasp his body and carried him into the darkness.

"AUGH!" PIFF the sound of impact of soft snow, "You dumb bell!" came a shout before Susie landed nearby, PIFF. Looking back at the house, Hobbes could see goons coming out and after them. In his final gaze at the fort some of the second story windows were broken out and a few were trying to climb down with sheet ropes in a final bid to escape. Those once gallant defenders were fleeing in every direction once their feet touched the ground. "Over here!" the tiger bellowed, a couple came towards his voice and were helped over to safety. Groaning in anger and seeing he was the last, Hobbes clawed his way up then slipped on over to the outside.

But, the battle was not over just yet for up in the second floor, Mortimer, Oliver, and O'Rourke, having barricaded themselves inside the bathroom, made no attempt to flee with the others. His mind was too cold, too weak to contemplate what could have happened if he tried or what his consequences were now, now that he and five others were trapped in this tomb. Nearby and trapped with them, not by choice, were Harold, Sean, and Nick, still bed ridden, incapable to fleeing. Moans and groans signaled their approach. In no time, their bodies were being heaved at the door. Sitting up at the head board was Sean. Nick at his side, both of them covered by a thick, warm blanket. Harold was at their feet, brandishing a small pocket knife, his only means of protection. It was at that moment that Sean remembered what Candace and Susie had given them, two hair dryers. "What the heck are these for?" asked a sweating Sean, "Your pistol, sir" replied a sarcastic Nick having plugged in both of them. Once the door gave way, the hair dryers clicked on, "Come and get us!" someone shouted. Goons rushed forward, seeing wounded prey. Herald slashed his knife around. When a goon landed on him in an attempt to smother him, he stabbed the face and neck, it died, but two more rushed him, slashing and flailing their branch arms. "NO" screamed Sean and Nick, turning on their dryers to maximum heat, they sprayed the entire foot of the bed. Goons swarmed in, going around both sides of their bed. They smothered their prey, whom did not scream or beg for mercy, their fight was over.

Not far away, three cowering individuals awaited their fate. Looking at his two companions, Mortimer had no regret, no remorse what so ever. "Well, this is it" telling them taking in a breath slowly. O'Rourke was set back; he did not want to die, especially in this fashion. No windows were in this room, no other means of escape. "I'm not going to stay in this place another minute" he told them, getting out of the shower.

"Don't open the door!" his suppose leader exclaimed. It was too late, O'Rourke opened their only defense, he saw goons ripping up the bed, then glared at this little kid in the door and made a charge. Slamming it shut there was no time to lock it. Bursting in, O'Rourke was thrown against the toilet. Stunned by this blow, he tried to sit up, eyes blurry. In a moment, a goon drove his arms into him, he was gone. Screaming from inside the shower attracted their attention. The sliding glass door was thrown open. They saw two kids huddling together, arm in arm. One towered over them was hideous looking, pine cone eyes, icicle fangs goon. It brought back an arm. The boys screamed, then silence. Hobbes's sharp ears picked up a blood curtailing scream then abrupt silence. Stopping in his tracks, his eyes fell back on the house.

"What is it?" Susie came up to ask.

"The Alamo has fallen" speaking softly, heartbroken. Looking with him at her home, a cold tear formed in her eye and dribbled down to her cheek where it froze. Taking up the tiger's paw, she held it tightly, "Come" he said, "We must go." Slowly, this small band of survivors began to trek towards the creek. Edgy over ambush, clubs were at the ready, weary eyes scanned all about. Calvin was in the lead, he was the first to find an article of clothing, a glove belonging to one of those that was tossed over the wall. No bodies were found, though. He took the glove, looking at it frozen in place as his friends came up, "What is it?" one asked,

"Oh, a glove I found" he said, stuffing it into his coat pocket, "Come on, we're almost there." assuring them at that safety was close. Some were wounded, all were tired, hungry, thirsty, and felt lost, even though they were in their own backyards. "Where are we going?" Susie asked as he helped one wounded boy through the snow. "Up ahead is the creek" said Calvin, "We'll use our sleds to get through the hills."

"Then what?" Hobbes questioned, struggling to keep up.

"Not sure" confessing, "Perhaps head North. Or wait in the woods"

"Why wait in the woods? We can't wait in the woods" yelled Susie, "We have no food or proper clothes to stay the night."

"Yes" Calvin growled, "But, we can't stay anywhere else. I say we find a safe place, perhaps a hill and wait it out until daylight".

"Then what?" asked Hobbes.

"We take back what's ours" almost to himself.


	10. Chapter 10

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

"They're all dead!" a voice cried out, "Oh god, they all dead!" it was coming from a boy as he rushed through an opened metal framed gate into a courtyard. Hearing his pleas, others, from buildings and all around, gathered around him to hear what this bad news was. "They're all dead!" coming to a stop near the center of this courtyard, panting, his breath forming thin wisps of steam. Milling about, they began to converse. No one believed him, "What do you mean?" one asked.

"Them" exclaiming, "Those at the fort. They're all dead!" the messenger coughed.

One big boy grabbed the messenger by the collar, threatening him not to tell any more lies.

"It's not a lie" in his own defense with his face bleach white, "It's the gosh honest truth."

Their roars of anger and surprise emanated outside far and deep into the woods as Calvin sluggishly moved forward. His companions were completely exhausted. They must have gone twenty miles, however it was less than three, through these woods and they were no closer in finding sanctuary than when they started. "How much further must we go?" Susie shouted from the rear along with Hobbes whom was keeping an eye out for any pursuers.

"There's a hill not far away" replied Calvin, "We'll stop and rest there for awhile"

Susie seemed irritated by his response. "Why a hill? Why not rest here? The wounded can't make it." Calvin kept tromping onward whilst biting his tongue not wanting to curse the little witch. Who was she to back talk him? Nothing. A nothing. That is what she is.

Continuing to walk alone, well ahead of his people, Calvin finally spotted this desolate hill, with no name, and blanketed in unturned snow. Shaped like a bent finger, this hill, from it's knuckle, gradually began in incline all the way to the tip which sat on a narrow stream bed coupled with a sheer rock face. Going from through the thick, naked, stands of tree trunks they inexplicably cleared to show the hill that he was looking for. It looked like a safe spot, desolate, out the way, sitting in rather unfamiliar territory. If he barely knew about it, perhaps those goons did not know about it either. It was still a walk just to reach it and by this point, Susie's tolerance was out. With no food they stuffed handfuls of snow into their mouths to melt to keep them going as the pitiful band of survivors exited the tree line and began the steep climb up the hill.

"Oh, God, we have to climb that?" a wounded survivor sank to his knees in the snow and was too much for them. Muscling her way up to the front of the column, she confronted her schoolmate, "Calvin, we need to stop and rest right now" but the boy would not listen and kept on walking. Angrily she curled her lips and snarled, "For god's sake, just stop!" He did stop and just stared blankly into the snow covered woods.

"When we reach the top of that hill" he growled, "We'll stop for as long as you like."

Bitterly she nodded, turned and went back down the line to help the others as they crossed a saddle from the tree line to the base of the hill where immediately the steep grade of the slope began to tell. Two fell from exhaustion and Hobbes picked them up, one in each arm, and carried them the rest of the way. Near the top they collapsed and huddled together for warmth. A biting wind was coming from the west, from down the length of the creek where the trees were not obstructing its path forcing those with strength left to begin cutting holes into the snow and building up walls forming crude igloos to protect them from the elements.

Sitting near the crown of the hill with a handful of snow, nibbling on it freely, Calvin contemplated deeply. His fort, his labor and mind, had been overtaken by snow goons, a creature he created. "How could this have happened?" muttering just enough for Hobbes to listen whom was more concerned for those entrusted with their care. The tiger sat next to him, "We've got seven, not counting us." It was not the answer the boy was looking for.

"How? Hobbes. How could they defeat our defenses that we have worked so hard to make? It was as if it didn't matter at all," Calvin slowly removed his red beanie and let it fall to his feet. He began to fight back tears.

His trusty companion begged to differ. Calmly, he stated his own opinion. "It was working out lovely for awhile, but it was Mortimer and his band that broke and ran inside, allowing them to get inside."

"Mortimer" Calvin hissed, the very name was synonymous with betrayal and cowardice, "If he was ever much a man, he would have died from the start."

"So, my brave colonel, what do we do now?" Hobbes let out a sigh as his gaze looked towards where the Alamo was. Vaguely he could see the roof tops of the neighborhood, shielded mostly by the tall trees. There was no more light coming from it. No more sounds. Groans of wounded and triumphed goons had since diminished meaning they had moved on. The sun had since gone down as well, casting an inky blackness over the forest. Temperatures immediately began to drop with it. The holes being dug resembled a sleep over on the snowy slopes. No blankets, some had lost mittens in their run, but all at least had jackets and head gear. Huddled together, in a solid mass inside the cavity of snow they tried to sleep. Calvin snuggled against Hobbes's belly, really warm there as the hours began to tick away. No one bothered to keep look out, too tired, their adrenalin of battle gone.

When the sun finally did come back up, the survivors were still there, neatly huddled against one another. Hobbes opened his mouth in a wide yawn, stretching his arms upwards. He was awake, soon after came Susie. Though numb by the cold, she was still alive and moving about, awakening everyone else. Calvin seemed to be the last to stir, eye lids heavy, mouth hanging by its hinges. "Smack smack. What time is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

No one answered, too numb and hungry to do so. Some took snow into their mouths and let it melt for water, but otherwise that was breakfast for them. Hobbes stood erect, eyes gazing through the dense, naked trees, "The night is over, a new day had begun, what do we do?" his breath came out as gray wisps that quickly disappeared.

"We could return to the Alamo. Maybe the goons vacated it" Hobbes suggested.

"Maybe, or maybe they have set up another ambush for us," Bryant rolled his eyes.

Calvin rubbed his chin, "Yeah, but maybe they left food in the kitchen" thoughts of fresh bread or canned fruit cocktail caused him to lick his chapped lips. "Let's get going then" agreeing in an instant, "We're going back." telling them all as he rushed back down the hill. "We're going back to the Alamo".

"But, why?" Susie whined.

"All of our supplies are in there. What good would it be to those goons? Only we could understand how to use them. Not only that, all of our medical supplies are in there, plus gloves, and boots, and scarves..." his rambling went on for a minute. It was not the fine words he selected that inspired, or his passionate plea, but everyone just wanted Calvin to just shut up with his high pitch declaration that they all agreed to go back.

Retracing their steps, their shoe prints were still visible after a night of travel; this little band reached the small stream that was very close to the walls. "Okay, hold up here. I'll go up there and take a look around." Hobbes easily bounded over the stream, dropped to his belly, and began to crawl up the incline to do some scouting. Those left behind hid themselves behind some trees as Calvin began to think of another scheme. This former fort was no longer tenable in this condition with the wall damaged in many places, at least two catapults broken, and far too few people to defend every inch. Observing from afar, all the windows in the back of the house were smashed, a single rope from a second story window fluttered in the breeze meaning that someone tried to run. No telling though what or who was left.

In a few minutes the tiger bounded back across the stream reporting all was clear. Sighs of relief swept through the group for they finally had a chance to get warm inside heated rooms and fill their stomachs with food. Struggling up the rocky slope, the first sight they saw was of horror. In many places, heaps of piled snow and tree branches marked where snow goons had fallen in battle by the dozen There were few places in the compound that did not mark the site of a dead goon. Going though one of many gaps that they had created in the wall the group came across a torn jacket, perhaps from the catapult crew of the South wall that had a name written on the collar but it was ripped up with just a "J" readable. The shed was smashed to pieces and all its tools gone. What would goons have to do with metal tools? Going further towards the house they found some more mitten and beanies, and a single boot. There was some small pools of blood created trails to the outside.

Investigating further, Hobbes found those ice stakes that were implanted in the backyard had succeeded in impaling two goons. Calvin muttered to himself "At least not all was wasted" as he stepped through the back door, the very same where they made their break out attempt. The fire was out, needed to be restarted in order to warm up everyone. Susie hustled them in, found scraps of wood, and managed to set it alight before darting into the kitchen to find whatever food was left. A further delight was that the power still worked, though the thermostat was smashed it was still warmer inside than out.

Like a zombie, Calvin went back outside to tour the walls. Uneasily tailing was Hobbes. Goon bodies were strewn all over, in some sparse whilst others, where defense was stiff lay in heaps. The first place they saw was Ryan's lunette which was nothing more than a flat impact of snow on sidewalk. All of their bodies were gone, just some articles of clothing and some dabble of bright red blood on brown snow. Candace's position was next. It was severely damaged. Placing a foot on it caused a chunk of the rampart to collapse. Sighing in disappoint, both officers took a step back to catch a full view of the North wall. Though made of bright red, strong brick, it did not hold up well against the snow goons. Taking a moment to reflect, Hobbes glanced over his shoulder, "Take a look at this" walking towards the house. Looking as well, Calvin saw the remains of his catapult which was smash to tinder. In his white paws, he held a piece of the strong arm as his friend trotted up. "Bet we got a lot with this" smirking.

"Bet we did" Calvin muttered. A stick then fell from the sky, landing on the ground next to them. Looking at it, then at the sky there was an amazing scene, "Is it safe to come down?" It was Billy, the sentry.

"Yes, it is" responded Calvin, whom rushed away to retrieve a ladder for him. His body was nearly frozen stiff, that blue snow jacket could only do so much for him. Hobbes took him up in his arms and carried him inside to warm up, leaving Calvin alone for the moment. He looked at the stick that had fallen. Attached to it was the black shirt, torn and crisp from frost, he smiled and went inside with it.

Susie had taken out a considerable pile of canned goods and placed them on the table. A lot had been lost, smashed and ripped open, leaving a sticky mess on the floor, but there was enough to feed this company for a good few days. But there was no time to dally about. Soon, that army will come back here either goons or looters. They needed to flee. But to where? With his banner clutched in his arms, the boy came into the room to find everyone relaxing, now warm and blood moving. Those two that were wounded also were being treated with bandages. Billy was found, his clothes removed all the way to boxers and given warm, discarded ones that were left inside. Sitting beside him, Calvin showed the flag to everyone.

"I could let them have it" chattering between his teeth. "But, this stand of colors wasn't much of a meaning now. Just a lost cause." Their fort was taken, many are missing, some perhaps forever. Entrusting the banner to Billy once more, our duo ventured upstairs to see what else was left. Each room showed an individual battle, defiance, cowardice, heroism, and fear. Bathroom itself marked a single man's last stand. Door was crashed in, ice and snow lay almost knee deep. How he ended, no one knew but him. Inside the parent's bed room laid testament to a brutal last stand as well. The sick bed was completely flattened, sheets ripped and thrown. It was Hobbes whom found the bathroom. Blood was smeared on the walls, and chunks of snow and melted ice damped the carpet around them. Whatever happened here was brief but vicious.

Two hours passed, everyone was warm now, ready for travel now adorn with proper winter gear. As they prepared to march, Hobbes took it upon himself to make one final assessment of the fort, and make a count of all the enemy dead as well as any available forms of transportation that could be salvaged or spruced together. They had but five sleds. Meals of canned fruit and water were given out for everyone to carry and those extra was placed on the sleds. Wolfing down the contents of one can of beef; Hobbes took notice of Susie, whom emerged from the kitchen, a pad of paper tucked close to her chest by both arms.

His jowls full, he could not ask, just watched as the little dark haired girl walked and sat down beside the group that had gathered around the fire. A small wire bound notepad, tattered, that had been damaged by water. "I used this to keep track of everyone here at this fort. This Alamo." Sullen, her voice breaking and to near tears. Eyes were fixated as she opened it up. On it were names in neat blue hand writing. Every soul, all fifty, were named, thus began a special roll call, to find out whom was left and possibly find out what happened to others.

"Candace...Gone"

"Billy." "Here"

"Calvin." "Here"

"Hobbes." "Here"

"Mortimer..."

"O'Rourke..."

"Travis..."

"Luke..."

"Gerald..."

Reading on and on this list, it became apparent of their loss. Only ten were left, seven out of fifty. Perhaps some, those that were last seen fleeing into the woods in other directions made it to some haven, however there were some like Candace that was tossed like a bale of hay into the arms of hundreds of snow goons. Making a mark with a pen beside each name that did not respond Susie broken down and wept when they finished and seeing their loss.

Too depressed to listen to it any more, Hobbes returned to his duty of counting up the dead of the enemy that lay in heaps at his feet. He began to count, "one...two...three..." walking through, stepping over bodies, fighting against a numb biting wind. His count rose to "ninety nine...one hundred..." and he had yet to leave the back yard.

Inside, the company began to pack for an arduous trip to nowhere. Five sleds, two damaged sleds, were all that could be compiled to move supplies. Moving out was easier said than done. There was no direction to go, everyone wanted to go in different ways, but each one was something that Calvin refused to listen to. Again, he had his own plan of movement and he did not care to listen to other thoughts, he wanted to go, and that was South, through the woods. So, everything inside was a mess when the tiger finally returned. "Where were you?" asked Calvin, angrily.

"Taking a count"

"Of what?"

"The enemy dead"

His attitude immediately changed, "How many?" now curious to know.

"About 800, then I gave up"...


	11. Chapter 11

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes and all characters associated with the comic. All rights are owned by Bill Waterson.

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin, Hobbes, Susie etc. They are owned by Bill Watterson

"800?" Calvin's eyes widened in disbelief.

There was so many of them. For the boy it was amazing in two ways. One; so many goons had been made in such a short amount of time that in the span of an hour they could easily cope with the loss of eight hundred. Second, he and his meager band of children managed to cut down those eight hundred with simple stone and sticks. But, that was just the outside, inside the house, where hand to hand combat had been fiercest even compared to the Civil War. Entire doors were smashed to splinters, furniture that had not been tossed out was not whole anymore and rugs were soaked in blood and water intermixed. "Now we know what happened to the men at the Alamo" Calvin said to Hobbes as he collapsed by the fireplace beside his other comrades, whom were prepared to march. Their destination was through the woods.

"Is everything packed?" looking at his first sergeant.

"Yes" he replied with a furry smile.

"Then, let us be off."

His cluster of followers said nothing of moving through the snow this time. Now, they had proper gear for cold, despite the fact that most of it came from missing and perhaps dead friends. Food was marginal, but enough to sustain them for at least a couple of days in their bellies and on their sleds. The two wounded were able to move on their own, so the convoy would not be burden in carrying them, but what they lacked was armament. Some buckets of stone were left along with sharpened stakes. Stuffing stone into their pockets and carrying sticks in their hands, the band leapt the wall and slipped quietly into the dead woods. Tension was high. Weary eyes took a second look at anything that moved. A twig snapped everyone froze in place for several seconds. Who was it? What was it? Sighs all around, Hobbes stepped on a branch and nervously chuckled. Their trip was arduous. In this cold, every step was painful one after the other on their feet. Needles were shooting up from their ankles to their knees. Nudging them on Calvin promised them a safe place to rest. To where? He was not sure at first. Crossing the creek was just another step. Each tree seemed like the others, bare, silent. For an hour, they wandered around, with no direction real direction or destination just straight forward. Keeping his eyes keen on his surroundings, Hobbes made sure that they were not walking into an ambush. "How far have we gone?" Billy asked. Behind him, Susie kept a count "312...313...314" she noted that her steps were exactly a foot and a half apart and she kept track of their distance thus far in her notebook.

No one else said a word; lips were unmoving, ears open. Holding mere sticks and stones, the children felt a dead chill through their jackets. Someone was watching them, with evil intent. Their enemy would like nothing more than to rip them about, limb from limb. Hobbes raced ahead of the group, his nose picking up something in the cold air. Disappearing from sight Calvin tried to recall him by shouting neglecting the fact that it might attract goons nearby. Nothing happened. In front of Calvin was a steep looking hill that was studded with fat trees. The tigers' foot prints were still visible in the snow that was solid and five inches deep. Marching up to the crest the boy was determined to see what had become of his friend. As soon as he reached the crest the tiger smacked into him and pinned the boy to the ground. "We made it!" exclaiming loudly for others to hear.

"What are you talking about, you lutz?" Calvin asked as he shoved the tiger off of him and stood back up.

"To the next street!" Hobbes said, his face flush with color and had everyone come up and see for themselves and they took up his cry as well, "We made it!" A mad dash was made by them from the trees into a clearing between two houses. This was the second street, a very well to do for the middle class and yet it was untouched by war, every house was of one story box design with simple aluminum siding walls and snow covered roofs with half shoveled sidewalks and ice covered drive ways. Not a soul was around. Could they have gotten to these people already? Unsure, Hobbes went away to look, and then promptly returned. "There's a fort just a few doors down," with an uneasy smile on his face.

"Another fort?" they asked then followed his guidance.

Sure enough there was a squat little house painted canary yellow with an skeleton iron gate sitting to the left of the front door. Bordering that all around the backyard was a wall of joke and snow mixed together. A rather hodgepodge way of making a barrier, but it appeared solid and all the snow around them had been shoveled away meaning that it would have taken a lot of people to make this. Walking from the sidewalk to the front yard Hobbes turned and told everyone to stop and let them go along. Eyes darted left and right, the air was still. No one appeared to be home. "Suppose they got to them," the boy said in a whisper.

"Maybe, but it's worth a try," Hobbes replied.

Moving along towards the gate, the front door being their objective, a near mute sneeze from the opposite side made them stop in their tracks. Calvin looked up and asked with his hands cupped around his mouth to amplify his question, "Who's there?"

A small head popped up from behind this wall. "Who the hell are you?" asking blatantly to which the boy replied, "My name is Calvin. This is my friend Hobbes." The tiger smiled and waved his hand.

"What do you want?" the head asked reluctant to let them in easily.

"We wish to enter your fort," Calvin said gesturing to those in his group behind them. The head looked at them for several seconds, "Come on, please. We're freezing out here."

Nodding, the boy disappeared then reappeared next to the gate. Removing containers that formed a barricade he inserted a key into a padlock and removed the snake of chain. With smiles on their face, Calvin motioned for his group to come up. Rushing across en masse, there were smiles and sighs of relief on their faces as the lock became undone, but, as the gate was opened, it was forcibly slammed shut in their faces. The guard stood stunned, looking up at a towering figure. "Moe?" flabbergasted.

"What are you doing here, twinky?" the large nosed bully demanded in a heavy voice.

"We wish to enter your fort," Calvin said meekly.

"Not a chance" waving them off, "If I let you in, then I have to let others in. If I do that, then those things will come in through the open gate. I won't allow it." Slamming the lock shut.

"Wait! You can't leave us out here!"

"Yes, I can"

"Those goons will get us!"

"That's not my problem" turning to walk away.

Furious, the cold getting to him, and being denied a safe haven, the tiger's dander stood up and he charged the gate and threw his entire body against it. Perhaps it was his momentum or the lock was weak, either way the gate flew open and Hobbes marched in. The guard stood aside, too scared to move as Hobbes finally confronted the bully whom was slowly beginning to back off deeper into the compound. "You would let us die out there?" sneering between his rows of razor sharp teeth, "Because of your selfishness" pointing a drawn claw finger at Moe's hefty chest. With the gate open Calvin and the others came inside and the guard locked the gate behind them. From here they could see the fort and it was in pitiful shape. Walls were nothing more than piled debris, covered in a layer of fallen snow. A layer of ice covered much of the courtyard, making it difficult to walk across in boots. Inside were many people, most of them kids of seven or eight year old variety, much taller than any of Calvin's group. Some huddled behind the walls in jackets, some inside the house with the warmth. At first glance, it appeared that inside was a favorable place to rest, but coming in, Calvin was greeted by a wall of foul stench that sent him wheeling back. Trying to hold back his lunch, he regained his posture and observed inside. Three cots, or makeshift beds were laid out, end to end inside what appeared to be the living room, but there was no furniture to mark it as such, just those three beds holding three coughing, sweat drenched, hot child, suffering from high fevers.

Knowing immediately what to do, Susie stepped inside, leaving the sliding glass door partially open to allow an air flow inside, ignoring oaths and protests by the sick to close it. Moe's bathroom appeared that a bomb went off. Dirt, grime, oil, and stagnant water incased by the walls and floor made people go outside. Soap was there, but not enough to shadow two fingers together. A pull open mirror cabinet had some medicines to combat illness, but she feared it would not be enough for others besides these three. Going about her nursing chores indoors, outdoors, Hobbes, having scared Moe silly with intimidation and threat, walked the entire length of the compound, making notes in his head about the integrity of these makeshift walls. In one spot it was a disabled sedan covered in vehicle parts and snow.

Saying to himself, "tisk tisk tisk" these walls were far different from the elegant, sharp, smooth ice that he helped build at Susie's house. Near the center of this compound stood the towering monster, Moe against the pitiful shrimp Calvin, both neither one of them seemed to have the guts to fight each other. Standing with his arms crossed, Moe listened as Calvin ranted about his or rather, his friends, battle at the Alamo.

"Goons came piling of the walls" he said, using his hands as charades of his enemy, "we kept hitting them with stone and it just ripped through them like butter."

Coming up beside his motor mouth, Hobbes sighed deeply as the last of this tale came to an end. Moe looked wearily at them, disenchanted. "Snow goons you say?" he asked.

"Yes, that is what we call them," Calvin replied with a hearty sigh, glad that they were making progress.

"What exactly do YOU want?"

"I and my company..."

Nudging, Hobbes corrected the grammar

Glaring out of the corner of his eye at his tiger, the boy started over, "My Company and me would like to join your fort."

After having his butt chewed out by Hobbes earlier, Moe looked at this tiger, who was at the same height he was, and rubbed his rounded chin. He could vaguely remember how he used to play dodge ball with the shrimp, Calvin, and easily defeat him and yet with his tiger friend behind him staring coldly back he easily relented, "Did you bring food?" his voice monotone showing no more fear.

"A little, not much," Calvin said shrugging his shoulders and pointing to the sleds near the back door.

Hobbes added, "Certainly not enough to feed everyone inside here for more than a day or two."

"How many do you have?" the boy asked, looking around, noting the stragglers hugging the walls to the West to avoid incoming winds.

"I got twenty three here, but there's another group coming here soon," Moe said.

"Have you looked in the other houses?"

"Naw, not with those freaky snowmen running loose around here. I saw them drag a fully grown man into the trees a couple days ago. Haven't seen him since."

"What about that second group?" Hobbes asked.

"I heard from them yesterday, I think. They say they'll come here in the night" shrugging his hefty shoulders. "But you keep this in your mind, twinky. I am in control here. You and that stuffed cat just stay out of my way."

Holding their gritted teeth together, and sneers in their eyes, Moe tromped off back towards the house, leaving our duo to think again inside the snow. "Quite a spot we're in. Wouldn't you say?" kicking his boots at the snow.

"Yes, quite"

"Got another situation on our hands here, ol' buddy."

"Yep"

"What do you think we should do?"

"I say we get this place in order or we'll be in a worse fix than last time."

"Agreed"

A work party was needed. Calvin tried to assemble those able to work as Hobbes took a scrap of paper and doodled on what this barrier was going to need. This barricade was high, in some places over six feet, but it was unstable to lean against much less stand on. To rectify this, he surmised, they would need timbers, large amounts of snow, and ice, lots of it. Taking note of the previous success of the ice wall, this fort would do better with it was better fortified, say with a good outer palisade and a stronger inner one. Moe had plenty of tools to work with, just needed to find them and enough people to make it all work.

At first the older kids were unwilling to work especially because they would be taking orders from a younger being, but Hobbes merely had to flash a smile and a claw and they were up and at it. At the main gate, the lock was replaced, and blocked up with snow that was shoveled in. With team work, people from Moe's company as well as Calvin's began to tear down whole sections of this barricade and replaced with snow that was pounded under many feet then covered in a layer of ice, then another layer of snow added on top. This mortar and brick method allowed this new wall to reach six feet high. Garbage, though soaked with water, was compiled on the front lawn. Rotted food, paper, dead animals, the filth of the world including feces were then doused with some gasoline and burned.

Watching from a window, Susie marveled on how that little loud mouth organized all of this. Hobbes was the blue print maker, the surveyor; Calvin though organized the teams and got them to work as one. "1...2...3...pull!" became a chant as the wall came down, then builders, with buckets or trash cans full of snow, came up and laid down a layer, then a seven year old sprayed with a water hose, then the process was repeated, all the while, two tense sentries watched opposite directions of each other for an attack that they silently prayed would never come.

Susie organized those inside the house to clear out the house and take account of what supplies they had. The bathroom was scrubbed out and the water was flowing safe enough to drink. Now numbering perhaps thirty Susie surmised that they had enough food for four days. As two kids carried out trash cans of filth to add to the bonfire Susie asked that Calvin make another bonfire to get rid of the feces around the outside of the fort.

"What's the magic word?" Calvin asked with a sinister smile

"Please" she replied in a defeated sigh.


	12. Chapter 12

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, Calvin, Hobbes, Moe, Susie, they are owned by Bill Watterson.

Moe didn't like Calvin before, during school, and now he was on his turf, his home. Calvin didn't want to be here, but there was no other way. It was either here or out there with the snowmen. It was an all day affair as the old barricade was taken now and replaced with a more suitable snow wall, it was done with very little commentary between the two. Susie helped nurse the sick and wounded inside with a dwindling amount of food, bandages, and medicines. A large amount of rubble had collected in the center compound, waiting to be disposed of as the rest was burned for heat.

When it was said and done, the garrison, of such, collapsed and sulked back inside to warm themselves and wait. Morale was low. Children knew nothing but defeat and privation at the hands of those snow goons. Parents were gone, they had lost the Alamo and many more of their friends as well.

"We should do something" Hobbes shivered as Calvin, taking a last parting gander at the walls came to go inside.

"Like what?" he asked.

"There should be a game, or something that will cheer them up"

"Has the cold gotten to your head?"

"Listen, there should be a game or some type of event that will cheer them up" Hobbes said with a toned up voice, trying to get his point across.

"Like what?" Calvin asked, uncertain.

"How about Calvinball?"

"Yeah, Calvinball! I'll get the masks, you get the ball" the boy ordered. In a split second, both departed in separate directions to obtain their goals.

Slivers of cloth were found in the rubble. They would make suitable masks. Carving out eye holds with his pocket knife, Calvin made one for him and one for his buddy, whom returned with a suitable ball, a basketball.

"It's all I could find" he said, presenting the ball.

"That will do" Calvin replied, "Here's your mask"

Dawning their black, Lone ranger, type masks, the two were not done just yet to begin their game.

"We need a flag" Calvin spoke, then remembered the flag Billy had saved from the Alamo. Though black, soaked in water and crisp from ice, it was idle for the boy's intentions.

"All right, now we can start!" Hobbes announced, holding the basketball firmly with both paws.

"I got the flag of defiance!" Calvin yelled, "If I cross into the invisible zone, I win ten points!" with that, he began a mad dash towards the back door of Moe's house.

In Calvinball, there were no fixed rules, save that you can never play the same way twice. Other than that, you make up all rules as you go. With the boy about to reach the "invisible zone," Hobbes had to devise a way to stop him. With a swift wind up, he unleashed his powerful weapon, the basketball, which was fully inflated at the runner. In a split second of air time, the ball found it's mark, right up against Calvin's temple, knocking the boy down sideways onto the soft snow with a hollow THUD. In the fall, the Flag of Defiance left his grasp and lay against his prone body. Unconcerned, Hobbes approached Calvin and picked up the flag.

"New rule," he said, "if the Flag of Defiance is captured, then the loser must sing the "I'm Sorry Song" with a smile on his face.

Recovering quickly, Calvin staggered to his feet, found the Calvinball, and, with a deranged look on his face, yelled, "You'll be the one that is SORRY!" A wild chase begin in the compound, boy chasing tiger, oaths were exchanged, alerting those inside to come watch as the two ran side to side, up and down, all over the interior of the fort. They did not witness the start of this game, thus, they'd no idea what was happening. It looked like they had gone mad.

"The cold must have gotten to them" said Miller.

Susie rolled her eyes, "Trust me, you wouldn't know if the cold gotten to him or not."

An hour passed, and the boy was still chasing Hobbes all over, still not letting fly with his Calvinball until the ideal shot presented itself. Winded, Hobbes began to slow down, but never lost touch with his flag. With the hunter behind him, no where else to hide, he decided to become defiant like his flag and let his opponent take his shot.

"You're not going to run?" huffed Calvin as he closed in on his prey.

"No, a real man doesn't run" Hobbes said proudly.

"Very well" winding up the ball, then let it fly with as much strength as he could muster behind it. The ball flew straight and true. Instead of waiting to be hit, the cunning tiger dodged the ball at the last second, scooped up a ball of snow and heaved it back, hitting Calvin once again in the face.

"Darn you!" raising a hand up from the snow.

Throughout the rest of the day and till the approaching dusk, the two exchanged oaths, fire, and snow, but over all were enjoying themselves, forgetting that there was an enemy outside those walls. Curious spectators gathered to watch, but no one wanted to join because it looked way too dangerous for their taste.

Time came for them to stop. Exhausted, fatigued, worn out, the two tallied up their score.

"I got oogey to boogie"

"I already had boogie!" Calvin whined.

It was a small victory, but had no direct influence on the war, but, did bulk up their moral. There was always time for Calvinball.

Nightfall came, that second group, promised by Moe, should be here soon. To those that survived the Alamo would remittence in the time that Ryan and his tiny band managed to reach Susie's house. It was a heartyboost to their moral, but most knew it only added fat to the feast. What was so important about this group that had Moe worked up in anticipation for their arrival? Must be something big. Perhaps they carry a secret weapon, or they have vital information. Night fall fell, the temperature as well. Two guards paced around on opposite sides of the fort as everyone else bundled up inside for warmth. A light wind blew from the West as a snow began to trickle down from a dark, large black, overcast. Vincent was one of those sentries. As stepped over the new blanket of snow building up in the courtyard, he saw a flicker of light from beyond the walls to the East. Looking out into the darkness, he saw the glint again, along with a face of a human. It was the second group. Running at full speed, Vincent rushed into the house, throwing open the sliding door, causing a panic at first till he could soothe them. Cheers and rejoice as the children rushed outside, disregarding they could to see this band of rebels. Ropes, steps, anything that would allow them access inside were thrown over because the main gate was permanently barricaded.

A stream of children, much older than Calvin, came over the wall. Once their bodies straddled it, they just slide down inside. The tallest person there, a brown haired, brown eyed boy whom saw Calvin as soon as he saw him. "Hello, im Miller" offering a hand in which Calvin took.

"I'm Calvin" as he shook his hand, his eyes looked at the many individuals that had followed Miller into the fort. There were many, far many than that was previously believed. All were big, huge, at least eight or nine year olds they were, and with that age came much privilege, for some carried weapons far better than sticks and rocks.

Moe asked Miller, "You made it. Did you see any of those snowmen out there?"

Miller replied, "Some, but they kept at a distance. They don't want to mess with my group" with a wide smile.

"Why is that?" Hobbes asked.

"Because my group are the best" though he may have just been bluffing.

"What do you call your little group?" Susie asked.

"We are the Greys" proclaiming proudly. Behind him came a muffled cheer as they tried to keep warm.

Taking a gander at all of this bag of rabble, not a single one of them wore an article of clothing that was gray. Most had colorful snow jackets caked in ice and particles of snow, black beanies for head covers, red or black mittens, and snow boots.

"Why do you call yourself the greys?" finally asking, knowing it was on the minds of everyone else.

"Just sounded cool" Miller shrugged.

There was silence at first, then their lips cracked and laughter as theses boys were allowed inside. Now reinforced with an additional fifty people, Moe and others began to think of turning the tables on their frozen foes in a devilish raid that will try and locate their base, if there was any. Once it is found, this war could be put down.

Everyone was tired. Tired of battle, tired from moving, tired of everything. What food could be spared was given to the Greys as they sought out a place to rest. Their bodies had been on the run for a day, out running, out smarting goons which Miller confessed were getting smarter by the minute. No longer were they dumb beasts, but intelligent beasts. Sooner or later, they would find this band inside Moe's fort, and they will swarm it like they did at the Alamo. Even with numbers over fifty, it wouldn't do much against an army in the hundreds, perhaps thousands. Even if they had catapults, it wouldn't do much to stop them. Like a wall of mud stopping an approaching tide.

The idea of a counter attack hung loosely on Miller's mind as he sat down on the hard carpet of Moe's living room. A broken television flickered, reception fuzzy and broken. It appeared to be a news report, but nothing could be made out, only every other word.

Frustrated over lack of information, the cramped conditions, hunger, and fatigue, Calvin stomped outside, proclaiming loudly that, "Im not going to stay in another fort any longer!"

He promptly jumped the wall. Baffled, Hobbes jumped as well to see what his friend was up to.

"We can't stay in another fort as long as they roam around through the woods and in the houses around us. They can easily surround and crush us like they nearly did last time, Hobbes. We must attack them." Calvin said as he sloshed around the fort's outskirts.

"But how?" Hobbes asked, arms folded to keep warm against the winds.

"They must have a fort of their own. A base where they make more and more of each other, and maybe have prisoners."

"If that is true, then we must find it" Hobbes concurred.

"Yes, but where might it be?"

"I believe it's in the woods." Hobbes started, "Where else but a place that has keeps out others? The woods is a perfect place"

"Yes, but how can we find such a place? The forest is huge. It would take days to find it" Calvin asked.

"Why should we look for it? Instead, we let the goons lead us right to it" Hobbes said. An idea was forming in his head.

"How do you suppose we do that?" Calvin asked.

"Simple. Give them what they want. Bait" with a grin.

Calvin smiled as well, liking the sound of it already. "Very well then. I'll need you to scout beyond that clearing, there" pointing to a crescent moon shaped, snow covered, clearing, "see if you can find a place where men can hide from your catapults."

"My catapults?" he asked.

"Yes, afterwards, I need for you to build as many as you can. All hopes of this to work rest upon your catapults."

"Nice to know im so needed" Hobbes smirked.

Both returned to the fort, Calvin triumptly entered Moe's house, ignoring his wrath as he gathered both Moe and Miller together to present his plan. Reluctant and weary to listen, the two older kids groaned as Calvin scribbled on a piece of paper.

"My plan is simple," he said, "I need for your Greys to go into the woods, find the enemy, and lure them into the clearing. There, Hobbes will hit them with his catapults." Taking it to the point.

Miller wasn't impressed with this, "How do you know the goons will follow?"

"Goons love humans. They love them. So, we give them what they want. We tease them and make them the victim of their own vice".

Moe, in his animal mind, liked the idea, "Those twinkies will never know what hit them" in a deep voice, but Miller was still reluctant, "How do you know if the catapults will work?" he asked Calvin.

"Hobbes is the best when it comes to building things, especially catapults."

As he was gloating about his furry companion, Calvin knew that already, Hobbes was working his way into the clearing that was presented to him earlier. His trained eye was looking for many things. First, if any goon had been there recently, second, a reasonable place for his catapults to be positioned. What looked like an abandoned ditched sat right at the edge of the clearing, where the ground began to slope gently downwards. It was just wide and deep enough to room children of Miller's size.

"What will this plan do for us?" Moe asked. "I believe they have a base. Once we spring the trap, we'll purposely leave a few survivors and they will flee back into the woods. We'll follow, and they'll lead us right for their base."

"How do you know they will?" Moe asked, "What makes you think they will be scared?"

"I've seen them. When he hit them with a catapult for the first time, they ran" Calvin said, "They can run, and we'll make them. This plan rested mostly on the Greys. "Why us?" asked Miller. The answer was simple. Every single person in that company was over the age of seven, the oldest was 11 being Miller, and with that age came some responsibility that attracted the loud mouth boy, namely the assorted weapons, air rifles, small caliber pistols and rifles that belonged to their parents, now in their hands. It will be a deciding factor. Rifles were far superior to rocks and sticks.

The only wish Miller had as leader of this company was that he be allowed to rest his friends for at least a few hours. "Till dawn" he said, "then we'll go." Agreed.

It was then that Susie stepped forward into the meeting. "We'll need more food and medical supplies. While you guys are off playing army against those things, perhaps some of you can find us some more."

Calvin thought hard, "Hmmmmm, two missions at once?" the idea was bold. If the attack should fail, then the party could be destroyed the goons. It's a risk, but he was willing to take it. "Take as many as you need" he told Susie whom smiled and left to round up those of her choosing. Throughout the remainder of the night, the garrison waited impatiently.

The only soul moving about outside was Hobbes as he tried to scrounge up enough parts to assemble catapults. Will all the junk taken down from the barricades, there was plenty of wood, rope, and nails to make two small ones, just slightly bigger than his own body. Upon trying them, their arms were strong, snapping in an instant when their lanyards were pulled. "This might work" the tiger said as he finished up. Though not pretty looking as the others, as long as they worked was all that matters. When they were finished, the tiger slumped down across them and fell asleep in the snow.

Morning came, no alarm clock this time, just the slow mutters and moans as the children began to stir inside. It was rather congested inside, everyone slept head to toe, some slumbered underneath Moe's bed, which wasn't pleasant. Already up early, Susie the mother, opened up canned food, all that was left, and began to serve it to the hungry garrison. Just a mouth full of jam on bread, or slivers of canned meat, that was it. She worried that this mission might fail and they will begin to starve. Not only that, but the wounded needed bandages and medicine which were now out.

Prodding them awake, Miller got his Greys, all fifty of them, outside with their weapons and prepared them to march. Most were reluctant to go, they didn't like this so called plan. Miller promised them, though, that it was their chance for revenge. Fueled by this, the group climbed the wall outside, formed up into a ball for warmth and crossed the tree approaching the woods. It was near the very site that Calvin and his group emerged from just a few days prior. Close behind was Hobbes, manhandling two weapons with a gathered team of five total. Behind them was a forage party of five more with bags, sleds, and backpacks. Five more slipped over the opposite wall to raid the other houses next door. So far, the operation was a success. However, Calvin did not go with them. Instead, he, Moe, and Susie remained behind to observe all of this from on top of Moe's roof. Approaching the clearing, Miller halted his men and took a look at the tree line. Not a soul was around. Hobbes pushed and pulled his weapons, finding their spot in the clearing. Everything was in place. Already, foragers were going into the houses, looking for food, now was the time to attack.

Drawing a deep breath, Miller covered his face with a scarf, turned to his friends and told them to follow. Greys went forth onto the tree line. They were ill, weary, scared. What lay beyond? Behind them were Hobbes's catapults with crew waiting to be put into place. Their actions were being observed from Moe's roof top not more than 300 yards away to the North east. Susie, Moe, and Calvin huddled together from the cold as the Greys finally began to press forwards into the woods at precisely 10 o' clock. As they went in, Hobbes moved his weapons into the vacant field the Greys once occupied and began to set up to fire. Stones, caked in ice, were loaded onto the strong arms, lanyards were readied. Miller encouraged his friends onward, but their fear of the enemy was too much and their advance stalled after not going far. Hobbes could see them with his eyes, their back facing them. "Those sorry excuse for soldiers" he grumbled. Miller was afraid too, but his job was to find those goons. What he needed was inspiration. Pushing his way through his men, the captain stood before his company, "I know you are scared" he said "I am too, but you want to die as cowards or as men!" some grumbling came from them, Miller sighed, turned away from them and began to walk deeper, alone. Step after step, his wondered if any were following. After ten, he didn't care, he would fight the goons himself. If he were to die, at least it would be for honor. Foot steps approached rapidly through the crunch of snow, there was Gregory. He walked along side Miller, then another Grey, and another, and another.

They disappeared. Hobbes looked with a sigh. He had words to say, but didn't utter a sound as his weapons were finally ready to unleash devastation. The Greys moved through the woods, their leaves dead, trunks bare and plain. Just 100 yards in, and true to his word, there was the small gully that Hobbes discovered. "There it is" smirked the captain. True to the plan, Miller chose a select few to go into the gully and beyond to try and find, and lure any goons to this area for an ambush.

The walls were steep, and almost bare, but the older children had little difficult in descending down then crossing to the other side. As their comrades vanished, the remaining Greys waited under concealment. With verbal orders in his head, queen, a seven year old blonde haired, green eyed youth came dashing towards Hobbes with a report on what had taken place.

"All is well" the tiger smirked. In deed it was. not a single goon was seen or smelled. Just four in number, the scouts fanned out in a wide arc, never losing sight of one another. It was easy in a forest as dense as this, so stops were frequent as the boys shouted to try and locate one another. Miller didn't mind this at all, in fact, he encouraged it. The more noise they made was bound to pick up the attention of the goons and thus lure them into his trap. One or two would be a small victory for their minds, but he wanted a much bigger prize, he wanted hundreds of them to fall to his friends. It was all in his mind. His lust for revenge began to cloud his thinking as a cry went up, "They're coming!". his four scouts came charging back in full flight, through the gully and up the embankment. "How many did you see?" he captain asked one, "Many" he replied.

"How many?" with wide eyes, in disbelief.

"I'd say a whole army" hoarse.

Those words sent a chill up those that heard. At first, he didn't believe it, until up came a roar and through the woods came, in fact, a whole army of deranged killer mutant monster snow goons of immense size and shape charging hell bent for their bait that had now turned the tables on them. Goons rapidly reached the embankment, and began to scale it, but their arms were too weak to lift their bodies up such a slippery surface. Miller looked upon them with pity, "Now is our chance. Open up!" his Greys sprung up, with rifles and pistols, bats, and rocks and began to blaze away with ferocity and anger. Now was the time for revenge, they all took it. Firing down with no remorse, the Greys watched with delight as dozens of goons fell under their weapons.

Running back, the greys kept ground between their pursuers. After fifty yards, they stopped and fired another ragged volley. Here and there, an enemy fell, but more kept pushing through the brush and trees, their roars echoed in the forest and in the children's ears. "Go, go!" shouted Miller, pushing his men back towards the fall back point. as he watched those lumbering beasts push through towards him, he grinned. They didn't suspect a trap about to spring.

Here at last, the shallow ditch was reached. One by one, the Greys jumped in and laid on their bellies, weapons resting on the rim, ready to fire after being hastily loaded. Miller was the last to come in. After getting a quick head count, to make sure all were there, he waved his mitten to signal the catapults to ready with canister. Still unsuspecting, the goons continued to venture forth, pushing aside dead stumps, breaking low hanging branches with their massive bodies, their immense girth carved shallow ditches in the snow.

"Come on, come on" under his breath, Miller waited, unflinching as his enemy come closer. Twenty yards beyond the stake, then ten, then, the first crossed it. "Now!" shouting, holding his right arm upright. All at once, the catapults snapped and unloaded their contents that zipped over the prone Grey's heads like low flying birds. Hearing a cry, the goons paused, baffled, only to be rained upon by many rocks that cut directly into their bodies and passed through completely. Stones rolled their mass, taking down several at a time. Heads were splattered, limbs ripped away. What was once a hideous horde of dozens was now withered down to a few single individuals whom were luckily to remain untouched, or were standing wounded, and in disbelief.

"Rise up and shoot them!" Miller said, rising up himself. His friends, blood pumping, teeth gritting, jumped up as well and commenced shooting or throwing stone. Hit again hard by the humans, the goons turned and began to flee, but to the dismay and pleasure of their foe. "We can't let them get away!" Gregory cried, pointing at the few survivors that were running away into the depths of the forest. Others agreed. Before Miller could lasso his friends, many sprang forwards, retracing their steps back into the woods and came upon the slaughter that the catapults had made. Many were wounded, dying, groaning. Instead of passing them by, and chasing after fair game, the rouge Greys paused, then began to purposely load their weapons, pick up stone and stick and began to murder the goons in heathen fashion. "This for my father!" Gregory yelled as he pointing his rifle into the face of a goon then pulled the trigger. "Take their heads!" Henry prodded, stabbing another wounded goon. For them, their was no rules to warfare, save their own, it was kill or be killed to them. After every single goon was slaughtered, the rogues turned their attention to those that ran. Miller vainly tried to get them back, "No! Stop! get back here," but some did not listen, their thrust for revenge was too much. With wide eyes, Miller saw some of his friends vanish into the woods. Sensing a trap, he dared not venture in himself. Rather, satisfied over what an accomplishment his company had achieved, Miller, Captain of the Greys, got his friends to move back towards the fort of Moe.


	13. Chapter 13

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Calvin and Hobbes, Moe and Susie. They are owned by Bill Watterson.

Cheers, hurrahs, praises came from the children as they came truimpetly back into the fort. Their victory, their first full victory against the snow goons.

"We killed them!" yelled one.

"We killed them all," replied another.

Watching them as they came back, Calvin smiled widely as Miller led his Greys, followed closely by Hobbes and his catapults. What a fight. Though observing from a distance, they could see the bravery of Miller and the courage of Hobbes. By that time, Susie's raiders had returned with a sizable amount of captured goons they had procured from the abandoned houses in the neighborhood.

As got his company back into the relative safety of the fort, Miller met with Calvin to discuss what had happened.

Miller confessed, "It worked almost to perfection. They followed us just like you said they would."

"Of course" spoke Calvin, "I know their tricks."

"Alrighty mister know it all, what would be their next move?"

"They'll come looking for us, so we must prepare. And fast."

Hobbes, plus stragglers were the last in. Parking their catapults in the center of the compound, the tiger tried to relax wherever he could, on the soft snow to take a load off. That where Calvin found him.

Walking up casually, the tiger was alert but passive, letting his friend come close.

"How was it?" Calvin asked standing over his prone body.

"Fun, exhilarating" in a mono tone voice, his right arm bend and laying over his eyes.

"Did you count the bodies?"

"Sort of" he confessed, "I didn't particularly care to after twenty."

Nodding knowingly, the boy walked back inside to warm himself. Opening up the sliding glass door, he slipped in unnoticed as members of the Greys stacked up their arms against the walls, found a soft place to lay down and fell asleep or tried to nibble on pieces of dried jerky. For them, the day was over. From inside the dankness of Moe's room, Susie sat with her back against a dilapidated bed frame, note pad in hand. She sighed as her fingers carefully flipped through the many pages, moist and wrinkled from water and exposure. Taking up a pen, she slowly began to stroke away as she etched in more names of the garrison into her log book. An extra two dozen people to care for and she was all alone in her nursing chores. Susie wasn't asked to do it, she volunteered when it was needed and made no complaint. Going from person to person, all that she could find, she took down their names for safe keeping, then marked out those that were lost in the previous fight, at the Alamo. There was a lot of crosses.

Cheers broke out suddenly, and a mad race for the compound commenced. Curious, she put down the pad and looking through the sliding glass door to see what the commotion was about. Outside, members gathered around the heap as someone set a light to it. A smile came to her face. Soon, Susie joined the bunch with sweets and drinks she took out from storage. Their was little singing though, just cheers and smiles, everyone was too cold to sing. As it burned, Moe caught sight of pieces of metal that had turned red hot from the flames. He kicked out a slab of pipe, then held it in his hand, it had cooled off after being dunked in the snow. He was amazed that the metal had grown soft and could be molded to his liking. Inside his feeble mind, an idea struck. Driving the pipe back in, Moe fired it back up, brought it out, and began pounding the length with a stone. Calvin and Hobbes watched with curiosity as the gorilla pounded away at a good length of the pipe flat.

"Haw haw" rejoicing, "Look at that" holding it up.

With raised eyebrows, the two had nothing to say. What was it? Moe then moved off into his garage, the two followed.

This garage was dank, cold, and untidy. A disabled pinto, in bad need of care and paint, sat on jacks, boxes and cartons were stacked two or three high around the walls, the main door was jammed and full of indention. Moe stuck upon an idea for this pipe, and pulled out an old grind stone.

"Where did you get that?" Calvin asked.

"It's my paw's" Moe replied as he sat down. With one hand, he turned the handle and the stone began to turn, with the other, he carefully moved the blade across. Sparks flew off as the two touched. Gradually, it became an edge. Rolled over, he did it once again, till the face was completely sharp from hilt to tip. "Yeah, take a look at that." Moe laughed as he wielded his sword in the courtyard. It was still heavy, only someone like him could use it. "This will take the head off those twinkies."

A sword, he made a good length sword. Taking after his idea, others scavenged through the debris, taking pieces of steel, aluminum, and iron and began crafting swords of their own, throwing away their old spears and sharpened stakes for something much better. Miller also began to improve his situation indoors. Whilst the others outside his group were making swords from garbage, his bunch were making ammunition. Though lacking the special equipment needed, they refilled their pockets with their deadly .22s, following the instructions by what their fathers told them. Someone had either carried or had found, a sizable amount of pure powder, and using expended cartridges, began to refill and make new ones. It was a delicate process. A single spark or flame would ignite the loose powder and cause a fireball, though amusing to watch, but dangerous in doors.

As weapons were being made, the tiger went once over his catapults to look for stress fractures. So far, his stones were proving to be effective, but something else was needed. He began to think like an artillery man.

"What type of shells did they have?" he thought to himself. The answer soon presented itself.

Sitting in the fire, not far away, was a bowling ball. It was hollow for the fingers, and the idea struck, explosive shell.

"Of course" clapping two hands together. "Explosives"

Braving heat and flames, the tiger sifted through and found two pieces of worn pine, and, using his razor sharp claws, began to carve out two halves of a sphere, making sure that it was hollow and a hole on one side. Though taking several splinters in the process. All of this took place in the court yard where parties went back and forth, sharpening swords, building up the ramparts to the wall, or throwing more fuel on to the fire. not a single person was lax, even the sick and wounded were working, storing food, and nursing one another as Susie attempted to clean out the cave called Moe's room.

"Eureka" Hobbes exclaimed loudly as he held the two halves of his ball together. It was a perfect fit. Some glue and it was a perfect sphere. Then, it took some bargaining with the Greys and they allowed him to fill it up with their precious powder, then a wick made of paper was plugged into the hole.

Without fanfare, the tiger took his ball outside to an awaiting catapult where Calvin came up, curious as to what he was doing.

"I'm coming up with a new idea" he told his short companion.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Shell" showing him the wood ball.

"How exactly does it work?" Calvin asked as Hobbes placed it on the basket.

"Easy, I hollowed outcome wood, filled it with powder, now all I need is a light" and his eyes fell onto Calvin.

"What?"

With his white paws, he beckoned for a lighter he was sure Calvin had. Denying and reluctant, the boy finally gave up a small cheap lighter of plastic to his friend. His fingers were too big to handle such a small devise, so the honor fell to Calvin to light the wick. Unsure whether or not it would light or blow up in their faces, Calvin hesitated in the cold for a moment, then nervously held the flame on the paper. Slowly, it began to burn and he took flight, leaving Hobbes with no time to spare in jerking the lanyard and sending his shell sailing over the wall towards the street.

Snap

Weary eyes looked over the snow walls as the ball flew high and came down into the snow across the street, just shy of the tree line.

WABOOM!

A flash, some flame, and it was gone.

The ball erupted perfectly, sending deadly fragments far and in every direction.

"Success! We did it!" Calvin yelled, jumping up and down from the rampart.

"Now, we'll need only a few hundred more of those" Hobbes confessed.

Perhaps they didn't need to make more of THOSE per say, but Moe came up with an idea that was much more smaller but just as lethal, for snow men.

"My Paw has many bottles empty that we can use" said Moe, whom ventured into his parents room and came out soon after with both arms full of empty glass beer containers.

"What do you suggest we do with those?" Susie asked

"Give them a barbecue" Moe laughed.

With several others, Moe siphoned gas from their disabled pinto car in the garage, then mixed it with oil, filled each of the bottles with the mixture, then tore off wicks made of oily clothes.

"Voila, a marry cocktail"

"You mean a Molotov Cocktail" corrected Hobbes.

"Whatever"

With it's wick lit, Moe hurled it out, over the wall, hoping to hit the ice caked sidewalk, but his aim was awful and it landed harmlessly onto a pile of soft snow. As he cursed away, Miller took aim with a .22 rifle from a house window.

Click

Pop

The glass shattered, spilling the mixture, the wick did it's job and created a small inferno, much to the cheers of those in the fort. It worked, for the most part. It would be difficult to use those weapons in defense, since it would take a hard surface to break the glass, but Calvin came upon another novel idea.

"Why not place those around the perimeter of the fort?"

"The what?" asked a baffled Moe.

"The perimeter" frustrated.

Moe stared back blankly.

"The outside of the fort, you dolt"

Unfazed by the insults, the big gorilla pondered for a moment, but the idea never sank in. To Calvin, it was hopeless.

"Like teaching a chimp to talk" he grumbled, stomping away, having accomplished nothing.

The only other people he could talk to that could possibly understand what his message was Hobbes or Miller, but the tiger was busy in the construction of more shell and Miller was trying to sort through the mess in the house. Living quarters inside were not the Hilton. Every inch of space was occupied, both bedrooms, Moe and his parents, were filled, though no one wanted to be in either room for very long, complaining of foul odors. There were two windows that faced the front of the house. Both were blocked up with furniture, but left slits to fire through for the Greys with fire arms. All along the rest of the fort, similar work was being done to improve their defenses in case the goons tried to attack, which they were sure to do.

Working for the ill, Susie was relieved to get more bandages for the wounded, and medicine for the sick, which seemed to be growing in number from the cold. Food was now plentiful, enough for them to savor for a time. Beef, eggs, fruit, vegetables, and sweets which were a welcome commodity.

Cocktails were given to Billy, the color bearer, to be placed around the perimeter of the fort as Calvin prescribed. The snow was not too deep, just around three inches and soft, almost powder, allowing him to place these bottles, then lightly covered in white. watching them through the slits and firing ports of the home, the Greys laughed and celebrated.

One Grey confessed to another, "I bet we have them beat. This war is over."

RAWR!

Everyone snapped to attention.

Billy looked up, facing the tree line only 150 yards away. From it came a wall of solid mass.

"Good God!" he said to himself, then turned and ran for his life.

Calvin heard the roar as if it were a trumpet announcing a charge.

"Get your weapons! They are coming!" shouting down to the others.

Jumping up, Hobbes gathered his crew, "Hurry, move this south" he told them, pushing his weapons towards the barricade gate as another roar shook them.

"Here they come!" someone yelled. Like a dart, Calvin left the South wall and raced to the long north. A large group of goons slowly made their way down on to them. They were surrounded, again.

"Well, mister general" Hobbes shouted, "What do you suppose we do?"

"We fight!"

Inside the house, Miller got his company going. Rifles began popping, but the wave came through, across the street and into the yard, right over the bottles.

"Give me your rifle" Miller ordered. A Grey handed over his .22 and watched with curiosity as his leader carefully inserted it through a firing slit, then slowly squeezed off a shot. It ran true. Glass shattered, and flames fumed up. Another shot, and another glass broke, adding more flame, then another, creating a wall of flame that separated groups, those inside the wall and those outside. Those inside could not escape and those outside could not get in. Thus, it was a shooting gallery for the Greys as they plugged goon after goon with their .22s. But, once the flames died out, the walls came back, easily sweeping over he front yard. Their goals apparently were the front door and side gate. Running from place to place, Calvin heard the wild yells coming from the house, followed by the sound of popcorn being cooked.

Like a ram, goons were throwing themselves at door and windows trying to make them give way. They didn't. Learning from their mistakes, the children fortified their fort greatly. No matter how hard they tried, the door wouldn't give way. To top it off, Billy, having recovered from his shock, took the initiative, found a ladder and clambered onto the slippery roof. Bearing cocktails in a haversack handing from his hip, he took out one, lit it with a lighter, and began to drop them onto the crowded porch, much like Hobbes's cocktail at the Alamo. Both had the same effect. He stood, spouting oaths and throwing down bottle after bottle. Frightened by its flame, the goons began to back off. All was going well for them. No where along the fort was there a risk of a breach, plus, there was no casualties.

Mouting the South wall down below, Hobbes scanned to see where his catapults will have the most effect. So far, they were not needed, saving precious stone for a later time, but his keen eye took hold of someone. Atall looking goon watched them from near the tree line, just past the crescent moon clearing. Nothing appeared special about him, just a statue, unmoving. He wanted to take a shot this rather tall goon, with plumes of feathers made of snow attached to the back of his head, but a wave suddenly hit the barricaded gate, taking away his attention. More important matters were unfolding. Along the North wall, Calvin jumped from place to place, encouraging his friends to keep fighting. So far, not one goon had come close to the wall. They kept at a distance, near a grove of trees, slinging small ice balls at them that did nothing but chip at the walls or cause the defenders to duck occasionally. This long range slug fest had no course of action against what was happening behind their backs. Collision after collision, the front door began to buckle. Bracing it with their bare hands, Greys continued to fire back, slaying and wounding.

For ten minutes, it was a deadly stalemate. Goons wanted in, and the children wanted them out. As if by magic, they turned and fled. Stunned at first, the goons just turned and abandoned the encounter, leaving a great many dead and wounded behind to be "taken care of."

"We did it, by Gum" said Hobbes, jumping for joy. Cheers and cries swept the crowd. Another victory, perhaps it was decisive, maybe not.

As Calvin continued to watch along the length of north wall where a stalled attack was thwarted, Miller took hold of the boy by the arm.

"You were right about them. Now, we have our chance to end this war."

"What do you suppose we do?"

This last attack, it seemed, did not have the spunk and determination that befell the Alamo. Just a we are here, sign and they promptly disappeared before much damage could be done, then they slinked back to the woods.

With Miller prodding for action, Calvin tried to come up with a plan that would be decisive. If there was a fort out their, a main base for the goons, now was the chance to strike while they were weak and vulnerable.

"We must strike" concurring with Miller.

"Get Moe. I have a plan"

Hobbes upon hearing this: "Yikes"

Members of the garrison were bracing for another attack. Cocktails were being refilled, swords that were never used yet, were being sharpened to their extreme, and bullets recapped.

"Moe, get out here!" shouted Miller from the sliding glass door. Emerging like a slumbering dragon, Moe, clad in green wool parka, came to see what the shouting was about.

Moe asked as he stepped out, "Does that twinky have another attack?"

Indeed he did. Hobbes again was tapped to scout again, this time going a little further west, past the old clearing to find a dominant field to where they can place their catapults. As this happened, Calvin asked what weapons were left, what supplies.

Miller stated that he had a total of fifty individuals with about 400 rounds of ammunition left. not much. Moe had just around two dozen or so, added to that was Calvin's seven survivors. All total, this grand scheme relied on an army of just over eighty.

"This time" Calvin said, "We all go"

Huffing back on the double, Hobbes, between breaths, stated that he had found a great place in which to do battle with the goons.

Drawing it out in the snow, he marked a small hill just inside the tree line that was semi bare of trees. "It's small, but it's the best hill in the area" he said, "Plus, there are no goons to be seen."

"Can you make any more catapults?" Calvin asked.

"Perhaps just one more. Not much wood left"

Nodding, Calvin looked at Miller, then to Moe, but unsure.

"This is my plan is, to have Moe on the flank..." looking up after drawing a small line, Moe's face was blank, "Means you are on the end. Then the catapults in the center, and Miller on the right. It will be just like the battle before, just bigger, and this time we'll pursue and crush them."

"But, how will we fight? What or how do we attack?" asked Miller deeply concerned. "If they have large numbers, which they are sure to have, they can easily move around, surround and crush us, or perhaps destroy this fort, leaving us homeless.

"Not to worry. We'll give them enough bait to lure them, then have enough fire power to crush them."

"That part I like" Moe added.

"Gather our men, we fight as soon as they are ready."

Miller still was concerned, but followed along.

Now a fever swept the fort. Everyone moved, gathered up equipment, weapons, and listened as the plans were laid out in front of them. Knowing that everyone was needed for this fight, Susie volunteered her efforts, as did the sick and wounded, no longer willing to be cooped up in the house any longer. Calvin never lamented, he needed everyone and asked for her to help fill up more Molotov cocktails for Moe. Meanwhile, Hobbes pounded away with charred nails and wood. Gradually, another catapult took shape. "The miracle worker" as Calvin called him. 1 o' clock slowly crawled to two then three, did he finally complete some sort of semblance of a weapon. It was time to go. Carrying his rent banner was Billy, leading a small precession as the garrison, all of them, began to march out at 3 o' clock in the after noon. Sleds were attached to catapults containing additional rock, small bits that formed deadly canister fire.

Crossing the street wasn't a problem, no vehicles, no adults. Caution hit the group as they moved through, expecting an attack while they were vulnerable in the open, nothing happened. Then, just shy of the trees, the army came to a halt to form up before preceding any further. Moe and his bunch moved in an uncoordinated fashion to the far left, Calvin and his survivors took the center, and Miller and his Greys took right. Few chosen individuals then broke rank and move in towards the trees to probe for enemy activity. Soon, the main body would be behind them. This hill Hobbes discovered wasn't know to anyone. He commented that it was shaped almost like a pear, thus, it gained the name of Pear Hill, and it wasn't occupied, yet. As his skirmishers pressed deep, Calvin was ready to go as well, as was Miller, but Moe and his unruly bunch were disorganized, milling out in the field, all completely ignorant of orders and unwilling to follow. Standing dead center in the line, Billy planted his staff, made from a thin sapling and scoffed, waiting for the order.

Minutes passed, the people grew restless as Moe's colleagues ignored Calvin's wail.

"Those bafoons" Calvin cursed them.

Moe never made an attempt to control them, he let them brandish their weapons and begin to taunt goons that may be in the woods to come out and fight. They wanted their frosty blood. Elsewhere, snow began to be built up, building another wall. Where the Greys sat was a small rise. From there, it dipped slightly to Hobbes, then rose up again to Moe, so the catapults sat in the saddle. It was a small advantage they possessed, but it wouldn't amount to much in the face of hundreds of attackers. Scouts worked into denser and denser trees, then up the gradually inclining Peach Hill. There was silence, just the muffled crunch of snow underneath their feet. Calvin observed the wall of snow being built, said nothing, and did nothing but wait himself as his friend Hobbes carefully sighted each of the weapons to hit at the tree line. Then, there came a scattering of fire, and the scouts came running back, peel mell back to their line.

"Oh great" cursing under his breath. Knowing full well what was about to happen, Calvin got his group ready to fight. It was too late to retreat, and impossible to advance now. The goons were coming. Worried some that he and his friends would be annilhated, Miller called out, "We should retreat!"

But Calvin refused to budge. "If I die, I'll die facing my enemy" gritting his teeth.

With a wild roar, goons began to spill out from the trees. Glancing right, just in time to see a white wave hit Moe and his bunch, whom resorted to hand to hand with their new special swords. As they flailed away madly, limbs and heads severed with each swing, a much heavier wave struck the Greys, then it was Calvin's turn to be hit. All along the length of the line, the Goons swarmed the children. Walls were of no use here. those that were created were trampled down in this wild melee. Stones were thrown, sticks impaled, then it came down to fists and blades. Cocktails were no good, despite the numbers they had.

At the head of his band, Calvin shouted, "Die you goons!" and began swinging left and right a stake, taking off heads. Behind him, Billy flaunted his black banner, defying his enemy as the wave swept around them and completely encircled the group. "Holy! They got us!" cried Susie. no hope of relief could come to them. Both flanks were being overwhelmed. Even Hobbes, whom was loading canister after canister into his three weapons, was hard pressed as the goons inched their way closer into seizing them. That big nose gorilla called Moe kicked down one adversary, mounted it's carcass and began swinging his fists, knocking down more and more as those long, stick arms reached up to grab him. It seemed all lost, Calvin's wild gamble to find that enemy base had led not only him, but possibly the only survivors to their deaths.

"Loose!" came a cry. Then, a great many hail stones came down from the heavens, ripping into the goons, opening up gaps in their encirclement, allowing Calvin to break free. Looking down into the saddle, Hobbbes waved and smiled as his crew loading more shot. By that time, the Greys, spurred on by Miller, broke the back of the goons facing them, sending scattered survivors fleeing into the woods. Wanting to pursue, their eyes feel on the desperate straights of their friends just a few yards away. Faced with a desperate decision, pursue or attack? That choice was Miller's to make, and he did in a second. Jumping to the head of his friends, he waved his cap with one hand over him, yelling, "Follow me!"

Sweeping down from the left, firing their weapons as they went, the Greys moved across Hobbes, whom moved his fire now onto the tree line to kill survivors. Goons fighting to get Calvin turned, seeing their predicament, and tried to take the Greys head on, but their juggernaut could not be stopped. It was an amazing sight to see, the children charging down, weapons popping, stones being thrown, and sticks stabbing as the goons, apparently frightened and confused now tried to get away, fleeing towards the trees. Here, Hobbes pumped canister into them, "Keep going!" the tiger huffed as he personal loaded the rounds onto the strong arms. "They're on the run!" Calvin screamed in a hoarse voice, "Follow them! Get them! Kill them all!"

Others shared his sentiments, their hatred of the snow men and charged into the tree line after them. No coordination, now order, no discipline. Kids fanned out, running after the goons whom had no direction. Here would be one child, about 100 feet away would be three, then fifty feet further on would be another. Everyone became hopelessly scattered in their quest for vengeance. Seeing this, Hobbes had to stop his weapons from firing. Vincent, one of his crew, pleaded to let them fire, but the tiger stood firm, "We'll hit our own people" he replied calmly, "Just wait and a target will present itself."

Sure enough, one did. Peach Hill's summit just barely cleared the tops of the naked trees, and it was sparsely populated by any vegetation. Up there, standing as if it were a statue, was a tall snow goon, the tallest ever seen with snow plumes etching out from the back of it's sphere shaped head, arms clasped casually behind it's back. Hobbes saw it, the goon seemed to be watching the battle unfolding at it's feet.

"Get him!" Hobbes barked, "Solid shot!"

Picking up a bowling ball shaped stone, that weighed just as much, Vincent grunted as he placed it firmly on the strong arm as another gunner, Garry, sighted it carefully. That figure was perfectly sillouhetted against the now red sky. The sun was setting now, but that didn't stop the battle. Inside the woods came shrieks, cries, and groans as the children ripped into their foe with such savagery and audacity.

With his piece ready, Hobbes watched as the arm snapped and the stone was thrown, barely clearing the tree limbs. It flew low and slow, and they watched with gasps, thinking that the ball would crash short, but to their amazement, the ball came to land right beside that goon, whom looked at it for a second, then at Hobbes. Taking the hint, the goon turned and slowly rumbled off away, down the back slope. Gritting his teeth, Hobbes watched it's departure, then at the battle scene that was at his feet.

Slashing his way through and around trees, Miller halted at the base of Peach Hill and noticed that there was no one around. Everyone was hopelessly separated and milling about. He heard Calvin crying for them to rally, and he followed the voice, away from the hill, but not far. Walking thirty yards or so, he came upon a group of about two dozen, at the head was Calvin. Stragglers were coming in, but the boy was becoming impatient,

"We have them on the run! We must go now and kill the last of them!"

Others agreed, and as more came in towards his rallying calls, the group, the Children's Army, pressed on, up the base of Peach Hill. When the trees began to clear, Billy moved further up towards the head, his pace quickening as he neared the summit. As he did, other followed, starting ot as a quick step, then a jog, then a full fledged run as their adrenaline pumped, flush with victory. A wild cheer broke out, it was victory as they swarmed up the summit, only to find it barren, the goons have fled.

Still spurred on, the children moved across the top and began to work down the back slope when they were stopped in their tracks. A large mound of snow, topped with stakes lay there. Cautiously, those with fire arms went forward to investigate. From a distance, Calvin watched. What was this? Some type of outpost? It looked man made, but the stakes were pointed inwards towards the center of the small, square shaped enclosure that was scarcely bigger than three cars parked side by side.

"Come quick!" shouted a scout, and the party galloped up en masse to several lurking humans, huddled close together, their clothes in tatters, hunched over, shivering, their faces blue and white from exposure.

"Good gravy" exclaimed Calvin, "They are ours!"

He was right, one by one, fifty-six children, all under the age of ten, were taken out of the snow compound.

"Get them to the fort, as quickly as possible" ordering them, forgetting his own order of pursuit and destruction.

Billy and Miller stood on the summit, the former flapping his black flag, the lather blowing a frost covered whistle in their attempt to rally their scattered friends. When the liberated prisoners came trudging past, Miller was lost for words, the whistle dangled at the edge of his lips then fell to the ground as Billy was similarly stunned, stood motionless, their eyes watching them as they were marched back towards the tree line.

Waiting patiently was Hobbes plus a gaggle of stragglers that worked their way back to him, being the logical choice of familiarity. When the freed prisoners were moved out, Hobbes too was lost for words. In a hustle, they, the prisoners, were taken back to the fort where Susie began to immediately make a good stew of fresh beef and vegetables for their victors. Remaining behind to survey the battle, Calvin and Hobbes.

"That was fun" said Calvin, with a smile, perky.

"Yes, it was. Let's not do it again." Hobbes replied lowly.

"Agreed, but we fought bravely today"

As they talked, they walked. Moving along the rise starting from the Grey's post, sticks and small clumps of snow marked the fall of the goons. No longer, it seemed, did their wave attacks work. Now, the humans were the ones that were on the attack. The war had turned.


	14. Chapter 14

War with the Deranged Killer Mutant Monster Snow Goons

Exclaimer: I do not own the characters of Calvin and Hobbes, Susie, Moe, they are owned by Bill Watterson. I, however, created Billy, Mortimer and others.

Lumbering slowly through the froth of mud, water, and ice they came. First one, then another, and then another. Taking head was a great, six foot tall pillar of white with two heads and six branching arms and a sinister grin made from charcoal. A street was up ahead, no one was around, all was deserted. This neighborhood was all like the rest. Under their control. Those humans, pesky little humans. Fled before their very presence. Except this one. This little band, held up in a house nearby was a thorn in their side for days. Many goons were slain trying to scale those simple walls, but their defiance was undenying. It would take more and more, plus some brains which they considerably lack. Days and days of nothing more than pillaging one house after the other, and all they wanted was more. nothing could quench their parched lips or their void bellies. Human and after were taken away into the very depths of their lair, but it wasn't enough. Some were defiant in their fight for resistance. Others quivered in fear at their very sight, either gasp in disbelief that they were snowmen our their very appearance drove them to flight. All that seem to stand in their way now, was one last house, one with a black flag that hung limp from the dead wind, yet inside, there was bustling activity.

Crossing this very street seemed easy enough. One after the other in a long, thin line. Their intelligence seem to be growing. Not a mob. Now, these creatures were coordinated. It showed. Calvin lamented that with each encounter, they were turning more and more into an organized army complete with artillery and officers. Ever still was the fact that some humans were freed from a prison pen. No telling how many more were out there, in those woods. Going across, these goons felt no fear nor jubilation. They had none. No fear, no pain. That changed when there came a high pitch squeal. Looking up and pausing in their slumber lumber, there came a flash of lights then a great crash. Moans, groans, and shrieks came in rapid succession from many mouths as a car tore into the column as they crossed the street then spun out of control with the torso of one of their own still stuck to the hood.

"Turn the wheel! Turn the wheel!" shouted a voice in obvious distress.

Great confusion followed as this car spun wildly, then came to a jolting halt, staring right at this long column. Looking at one another, the goons turned into their infamous rage when they discovered it was a car with humans in it. Get them. Get them. That's what fueled their passion. Stomping hard on the accelerator, the car roared back to life as numerous creatures came to bear on them from three sides. Long branches screeched across glass, wanting in.

"Hurry! Hurry!" said the same voice with equal amounts of terror as the driver finally stomped down and the car roared off, plowing back into the goon group, blowing them aside or knocking them onto their hood where they slipped off to the left when their vehicle turned to the right and fled. All transpired in the space of just a few moments, yet, this little incident would have profound effect on upcoming events.

Patiently strolling along the very same snow walls as he did every day, Calvin paused to look at his clothes. They were the very same ones he wore for nearly a week.

"Mom will have a fit when he learns that I haven't changed my underwear," he grinned silently, before resuming his march. His defenses were strong and so was moral for the most part. His comrades took a prison pen that had fellow children in it, scared, cold, hungry. Those were all well now, save two which had suffered high fevers. No need to worry, Susie was tending to them, she was a good nurse. Hobbes was always busy, either working on his catapults or trying to devise new traps to place around the compound. He was good, though worn out. Everyone was worn out. It had been a week or so, lost track of time. Wondered if mom and dad suffered the same fate as everyone else.

"Hey Calvin!" came a familiar voice.

Looking up, facing the South east corner of the compound, there he was, Hobbes jauntily waving him over to come see what new trap he had placed. A smile to Calvin's hard face. Things were looking up in this war. Now they could take the offensive, to find others to come to their banner, or find a safe haven away from this nightmare. As he calmly walked towards him, little notes came to mind over what to do or what has happened. Food was good, the house still had heat, though it was rather crammed, most were sleeping on the floor with no blankets, clothes were soggy from prolonged exposure, faces dry and sensitive, plus untidy due to only one shower available for 100 children. There were no adults here, and among the oldest was Miller, but he wasn't fit to be a parent, taking care of 100 refugees. For a couple of days now, contact was attempted via telephone, the children used every number at their disposal to try and contact friends and family, to see if they were alive. Not a single one came through. But, the bright side was, there was dial tone and ringing, a benefit that the lines were not cut.

Arriving at Hobbes' side, the tiger, face covered in grime, proudly smiled as he showed his new confangled contraption.

"Tada!"

Looking down at it with a sense of wonder and dumb, "What is it?" Calvin finally asked.

"I call it, a flame thrower"

"How did you make one?" the boy asked, looking at the rather hogged weapon. Little more than a large foot pump attached to a container of gasoline with a long hose. At the crown, was a match, which was out at the moment.

"Like it?" asked Hobbes, sensing confusion from his companion.

"Yes," he said, "but how does it work?"

"Easy. Just stomp down on this foot press here, that forces gasoline through this hose and will be ignited by this match system here" he said with a wide smile.

"Great, but ummm. How do you turn it off?"

Next came a great silence as the tiger scratched his head.

"I guess this better be a last ditch weapon, right?" Hobbes asked.

"Agreed"

As this agreement was being brokered, then came the familiar squeal of rubber on ice. All eyes fell on the road. It couldn't be goons, they couldn't drive. Could they? No, it was that came car, coated in ice from their slain adversaries. They saw the house and tried to take the turn into the drive way much too fast and spun out again, this time in the middle of the front yard.

"Nice driving you lunk head" as the doors opened and out stepped Miller and Moe.

"Hey, at least I got us out of that trap back there," fumed Moe as he followed Miller back towards the house.

Those two went out on a recon mission this morning. Their spin outs and screeches could be heard for miles. It was a sign that they were still alive and perhaps enjoying themselves in this bound of freedom. Still, there were many questions that needed to be asked and answered by them. Calvin and Hobbes greeted them inside and there was much to be said.

Miller spoke first as he removed his coat. "We ran into a large group of them back at the old neighborhood, literally.

"We plowed into those suckers," laughed Moe as he walked off into the kitchen for a drink.

Watching him with disgust, Miller waited until he was gone before continuing. "That goon nearly got us killed with his wild driving. We plowed right into them, spun out, and barely managed to escape. They were all over us."

"So, another group is heading this way?" asked Calvin with a disdain look.

"I believe so. I also recommend that scouts move to other directions to see if they are trying to surround us again."

"I concur" Hobbes stated, "I'll take the North."

"I the west"said Calvin

"And I the East" said Miller.

Some bread and milk were all that was available before the trio hastily beat an exit outside to cover as much ground as possible before dark, which lingered only five hours away. Still, there was much to go over. Watching them fan out from the roof top, Billy was among several others as they tethered Molotov cocktails in preparation for another attack. This time, they had many. To further complement their arsenal above, Miller posted his best shots so their field of fire was unhampered like those firing through slits. Ammunition was hard to come by now. Several foraging parties went into houses known to have weapons and ammunition, but there was not much. It was back to sticks and rocks. What there was a lot of was snow. Yesterday, a heavy blanket fell, this created a concern. All that snow meant much more goons were being created. Perhaps there were thousands out there now, maybe millions. Not a single person had the guts though to jump the wall and take their chances. Either it was that or too cold to venture out. Either way, the garrison remained together, and worked together to save their lives. Clambering through the heavy white, Hobbes pressed harder and harder on his fatigued body to reach his destination, a section of road that connected neighborhoods. It was a nameless stretch of road, blank, unshoveled, forgotten. His arms crossed, hot breath creating wisps of steam. It was a road, but the homes here were dilapidated or under construction. No one lived here, ever. Beyond that, half way to the horizon was a low ridge with sparse trees. Other than that, it was a featureless terrain. Sighing to himself, the tiger turned east and resumed his walk, gradually drifting closer and closer to those buildings. Doubtful that there was anything of use in them.

Miller was also having little luck in his flight. His route took him towards aroadway that connected the two neighborhoods, but that was all under snow now and the forest hook around them and headed north as well. It was dense here as every where else and Miller did not want to go into it alone. So he paused and took it all in. There was no goon build up here. Yet, he remained cautious. Do not assume so easily. These were slick creatures. They could pop up anywhere.

Calvin kicked and murmured to himself. Spouting oaths about everyone and everything. He hated this so called war. It was all his fault they were in this predicament and he knew it. Problem was, he didn't know how to tell all of his friends. Sure, Hobbes knew that he created the first goon, but he didn't expect it to be evil. Question was, how do you kill it? They seem to be like ants, find the queen and kill it, then you kill the colony. Just how do you go up and do that? He wondered as he kicked some snow.

PIFF PIFF PIFF

What to do? Some days have past since Peach Hill, and their condition had improved some. Parties were moving about at will in gathering supplies, but Moe was taking a firm hand in what was being done in his home. He didn't was girls in his room, sick and wounded were moved into his parents room, and he had first chance at the bathroom. Even still, he gobbled down valuable food before it could be given to the others. More and more food was being taken from other abandoned homes, in order to feed all of them, but not enough to create more ammunition. Rocks, sticks, ammunition, all of that was being neglected and he feared it would come back to haunt them.

Too his right, he could barely make out the figure of Hobbes, then to his left, Miller. Just tiny specks. They were out of ear shot, but Hobbes was now looking into those houses, peering through windows and tarmat covered doors, Miller strolled along the tree line. Hobbes was loyal even to this extent. Never once did it waver. For these past three days, always busy but never once thinking about jumping over and abandoning everyone. Miller seemed cautious, but that was due to the fact that he was a leader to his group, thus, he was always up and moving, resting rarely and sleep was hard. Same for everyone. Ever wake up to a pair of stinky feet? Most haven't showered. He brought it up again. Groan. There was nothing here. It had only been less than an hour. Temperature was dropping fast. Best be back to the house before a snow flurry hit. Calvin turned to look back at the fort and was about to start walking when there came an intense roar.

ROAR!

There came a deep rumble. The trio held in place where they were, eyes darting around, trying to see where it came from.

"Why can't we do simple things?" Hobbes cried as he did an about face and beat a hasty retreat back towards the fort. His two companions also came up with the same idea. Don't look back. This they did. Through the houses, the tree line, and over the snow, from all three sides, came a solid line of killer mutant monster snow goons, in several ranks deep. All were coming down on these puny trio as they ran through the open field.

"Get up! Get up!" shouted Calvin, waving his beanie over his head as he ran, trying to alert those inside the fort, but they were out of hearing distance. Billy stood upright on the roof, seeing those three grow larger and larger, then the white monsters behind them as well.

"Get up! They're coming!" shouting down below as hard as he could. Their response was swift. Gun crews promptly manned Hobbes's catapults and aimed to fire as the boys and tiger climbed over the wall, out of breath. It was a close race, goons nearly had them. Looking over that north field, a massive, solid line, of goons of all sorts.

"Fire" cried one of Hobbes's catapults, unleashing one of the few remaining shells, fuse set to explode in just four seconds. Eyes watched as it arced high, coming down with a distant piff. Time came, nothing. No explosion. Curses rang out. It was a dud. Fuse went out. Defective powder.

BOOM

There it went. Shower of snow, dirt, and branches went into a heavy overcast sky, then rained back down.

Taking charge of his guns, Hobbes consolidated them, firing in sequence so there was no lull in his fire. All of it was being directed north. No small arms or barrage of rock came yet. Waiting for their range to close. Inside, Miller gathered his Greys as Susie helped wounded and sick that assisted in moving of ammunition, what was left of it. No slacking off here. It was real. Blood was pumping when Billy shouted that he sees more, this time coming from the South east and south.

"They have us surrounded" yelled Susie, whom observed through a slat of a bared window. Her wounded began loading rifles for Greys whom rested them on tables, ready to fire.

"No" replied Miller at her side, "There's a gap there in the South west. Perhaps our little run in threw off their encirclement."

Susie looked at him, dumbfounded. What was he getting at? From a bird's eye view, a solid ring of goons surrounded the house. This was going to be the last battle. But, a gap was there in the South west, stragglers were coming up to fill it, but it was still there. Working in concert, this semi ring began to close in. Catapults were working with a dwindling supply of ammunition, cutting great swaths in ranks. Reserved fill them up as quickly as possible. Working with a .22, Billy capped off two, trying to exploit the gap as his fellow sharps shooters tried to get some.

"This is nuts!" cried Calvin from a parapet, "They have attacked us time and again. Each time, we throw them back. When will they stop?"

"When we're all dead" yelled a young defender.

Remaining quiet, Calvin worked down this line, rifles, rocks, and stakes ready to repel this assault. Still out of range for these, he thought.

Kaunk!

Those catapults were a dream. Shells running out though, hope he gathered enough canister. Here he was, not a brat but a thinking commander. Some were clustered together, trying to stay in groups. Friends. Couldn't let this happen. There were gaps along the walls. No. Spread out. Telling, shouting, pushing, and prodding, this helped to move them around. Sure it seemed harsh, but it must be done to ensure a complete defense.

KAZING

Looking at Moe's roof. Billy fired once again. Goons looked and sounded like zombies from movies with their deifying dead moans and slow movement as their girths cut paths through this fresh blanket of snow.

BOOM

Another shell exploded, shredding a dozen to death, a gap was created, but promptly filled. Hmmm, he thought.

"Hobbes!" Calvin yelled to his friend just twenty feet away. "How many shells do you have left?"

Taking a count, an answer was quick, "Only five, why?"

"Save them. Wait till they come right up against them, then we'll roll them down."

"Like bowling?" Hobbes smiled.

"Exactly"

"Gunners, change to solid rock!" the tiger barked. There were six small catapults working, new ones were constructed over the deluge, all lined up perfectly.

Elsewhere, Miller was bracing for his chance. Goons were now moving towards him, crossing that iced asphalt. Wait. Wait till they come close. Rifles were at ready. A massive volley would have swept them to hell. Only persons firing their weapons were those sharpshooters, then they stopped, switching instead to their storage of Molotov cocktails. Almost. Ready?

"Fire!"

WHOOSH!

A solid, rapid noise and several goons tumbled and fell.

"Ready? Fire!" Miller cried as his Greys blazed away, taking down several more. Susie at first cried. This noise was terrible for her ears. Yet, over their roar, she could hear moans and groans as goons were cut apart. A smile came to her face, then she began to laugh.

So far, all was well. No casualties yet. Calvin was pleased. His defenders, despite their suffering, were taking a toll. There was still a gap to the South west, and with their numbers being taken, it continued to grow and grow. Suddenly, there came a roar above all others. It was high pitched, defiant. A shriek.

"Incoming!" someone shouted.

Like hail, ice came raining down all over the compound. What was this? Baseball size chunks of solid ice were hitting walls, the roof, and coming close to taking out the catapults. It wasn't nature causing this. Searching high and low, Calvin looked to see if goons were. Hail was taking sizable chunks out of his wall, tearing shingles and took out a window pane. They were getting smarter, just as he feared. Finally, there, in the clearing, the very same as the battle before were perhaps a dozen multi armed goons, flinging this ice. Darn it.

"Hobbes!" he cried, "Turn them around, and take those suckers out!"

"Can't, we just use the very last stone, all we have left is shell"

He cursed to himself. All this time, plenty of chances to replenish this stockpile, but foraging parties were more concerned about food and building walls than collecting stone and powder.

"Use it!" coming up with a conclusion. It was worth taking out this threat now than have them cause much more damage. As soon as Calvin yelled...

PAT!

AUGH!

A body fell on the roof, promptly caught by Billy. Matthew, a Grey, was hit by a piece of ice in the head. Bleeding profusely, Billy had to help him down so Susie could care for him. Laving his post, dragging the wounded comrade along, the boy stumbled and fell several times on this angled roof, but, he reached the ladder in the back yard and lowered him down, calling out for Susie to come and take him.

Close by, Hobbes turned his weapons around, estimating on their range. All the while, ice was raining down. Crew were cowering behind their weapons as they moved them about, shells already loaded, waiting for the order to fire. This tiger was a rock, oblivious to events around him. There was shouting, oaths, fire, and ice and he only concentrated on the range. Every shot counted.

"This tiger is a rock" a crew member muttered.

"Half charge" he said with his powerful voice.

Five shells left, only one drew back their strong arm half way, fuse was lit, then let go. It sailed and came to land just short of their targets. It exploded, but did nothing to hamper their operation.

"A little more," he corrected.

This time, the shell landed, but to their horror, did not explode. Darn dud.

"Hit them again! Full volley!" he shouted.

It was do or die now. If this didn't work, then they were in a fix. Loaded up, the last four were unleashed and landed admist their cluttered targets as fore seen, then, each one erupted in a brilliant pillar of smoke and snow. A black scare showed where one those goons were, it was done. Cheers broke out, but their episode wasn't over. Under the cover of their ice, the goons tightened their ring, pressing ever closer now to the fort. Now it was time to hit with stone.

"Let them have it!"

Volley after volley was being dealt, goons fell, their bodies pierces, some as many as twenty times before finally giving in, still, they kept going, determined. They wanted this to end, now. Still firing, Miller shouted in a now smoke filled house for more ammunition. It was nearly gone. Moe continued to throw stones from the North west corner, carelessly mounting the wall to get a better shot. He didn't care if the enemy was nearly nipping at his toes, every throw took down another of his enemies, and he was enjoying it.

"Haw Haw, die you twinkies!" he laughed.

Others were more scared, throwing without aiming. Calvin tried to rally them, no cowards here. No need to be. Cocktails were now being thrown down. Rivers of yellow flame swept across the lawn. They were deadly close. Desperate to fend them off, and his weapons now exhausted of ammunition, Hobbes leapt for the chance to try his flame thrower. He found it in the South east corner, this is where he would have to use it for they were closer here than anywhere else. Everything was intact, undamaged from the hail. Taking and striking some matches, Hobbes placed the hose in his hands, aiming over the wall, left foot resting on the pump. Some were watching him. Expecting a show, they stopped to see this, allowing goons to come closer.

"Suck on this!" Hobbes yelled, slamming his foot down. Gasoline passed through the hose and touched the flame. It worked. Flames spewed as he worked it left and right. Range wasn't much, however, just around twenty feet, but it worked in keeping them back. It was so intense, that the wall itself began to melt. He was enjoying, Hobbes was, goons, not so much, but then it all stopped. Working the pump, it was empty, gasoline was used up. So soon? Yes, The can was nicked and leaking. Something overlooked. Throwing down the hose, the tiger jumped down to find Calvin. That whole event took only a few seconds, maybe a minute. It was a blur though it happened recently. All his traps and inventions were now useless. All were used up. But, it wasn't all bad.

"They are retreating!" Billy yelled down below.

Too their surprise, it was true. Fed up with loses, the goons were moving back, just out of range of stone, if they knew that there were any left. Were they retreating for good, or just regrouping? No one knew. What was known was that ammunition was gone, completely. No more stone or shell, no more bullets or cocktails.The ring was still there though. Only five minutes passed, then they came back. No retreat. Watching in horror as they came, Calvin thought to himself what to do next.

Threw them off once. Doubtful with they could do it again. Wounded were few, but their numbers were insignificant if they attack again. Hobbes and his crew disbanded to fill up the gaps along the walls. Billy was out of cocktails. Everything was out except their spirit. Their foe, was out there, numbers vastly depleted. It seemed that their will power was greatly sapped following their discharge. Gaps were many, no more hail coming down, all that lay before them were the many bodies of comrades.

"Hobbes," said Calvin, never taking their eyes off from the field, "Make sure everyone has a stake."

"What's your plan now?" asked his friend.

"We attack"

A smile came to his face, both of them. Wooden stakes were given to everyone. Miller took out all of his men outside, following Calvin's order, but questioned what was going on.

"We are out of ammunition. What do you propose we do now? Hit them with sticks and stones?" he asked greatly angered, his face smeared with smoke and dirt.

"Exactly" said the much cleaner Calvin.

Dumbfounded at first, it took a moment for Miller to understand what the boy was coming up with in his mind.

All along the walls, nervous bodies waited, stakes resting on the walls. Waiting for another attack. Outside, goons were gathering again, trying to recover their losses. Wounded were being tended to, or new ones were being built right before them. A heavy silence fell over them. It was eerie. What do they do now?

Moving along the south wall, Calvin looked them then at the people at his side, all of them in the eye. They were not going to die here. Not again. Taking a hold of a spare stake jaw firm, teeth gritting, he suddenly mounted the wall,and shouted hard and clear, "Charge!" and jumped down, hitting the ground running.

Defenders looked at each other in confusion, was he nuts?

Hobbes then jumped the North wall, roaring loudly and running as well. Still, no one moved, then Miller jumped, then another, then another. Finally, everyone jumped from all over the fort.

"Charge!"

Drawing his claws, Hobbes was in the lead as he jumped and leapt here and there, over bodies, finally tearing into one goon as he tried to rebuild a comrade, then he got the other one as well. Billy darted past him, waving his black banner, shouting with his hoarse voice as he moved, followed close behind were others. Like a wave, the children came out, unafraid towards their adversaries. Stakes immediately began to impale bodies. Others swung them like clubs in wide arcs, taking off heads. Goons were completely stunned, unable to react. Some turned to run, others remained in place. Spouting oaths, kicking, punching, children tore into the dilapidated ring, tearing it completely apart. There was no denying them. Some threw their stakes as spears, others dropped them and fought with their hands. Greys, though having no more ammunition, swung their rifles like clubs. It was personal now. No one told them to stop. Just keep going as long as you see a goon. So they did, kept running, through the contruction site where some of their enemy tried to take shelter, but it was a death trap.

Calvin jumped towards the tree line, chasing a few survivors. To his left and right were a few other comrades, most were trying to keep up, weak from their prolonged battle.

"Keep going! Come on!" he shouted, waving his beanie with one hand, in the other was his stake, trying to encourage them. Looking over further, he could see black specks moving through the field beyond. Those must be humans. Goons were moving towards the horizon. They were winning. Roaring was a constant noise, there was no break in it as the defenders charged, also unbreaking, throwing their ice foe back, killing many. This was new, much different from Peach Hill. Everyone participated, everyone was fanning out, taking no prisoners, but there was no stopping them. They were going out now to find this base, if it existed. Yet, that didn't seem to be their intention, just get out of the fort and fight for once in the open, away from those walls, or perhaps get away.

Going through the trees now, Calvin lost track of his prey. Pausing, to gather his breath, heshouted for others that he could see working to his right and left, and some behind to rally on him. Some did, but the noise drowned out his voice from others further away. Where was Hobbes? Susie? Did she even make it out of the fort? Not sure, she wanted to be with her patients. Miller? Saw him on the wall, but he possibly went in a different direction. Even Moe? Gone.

Those at his side looked at him with question. What do we do now? Go back to the fort? No. Not this time. Go back there, they will just be back with more numbers. No, this time we are the attackers.

"Follow me" proudly saying to his little band, thrusting his stake forward as he began to walk deeper into the woods...


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters to Calvin and Hobbes, save Mortimer, Billy, and Miller. Everyone else is owned by Bill Watterson.

It was working. Their great counter attack from the fort had broken through the goons iron ring, forcing them to flee into the woods and fields beyond. Lacking a trumpet to stop their bullying, fueled by anger, and weakened by siege, the children continued their relentless drive in every direction of the compass, and now, they were hopelessly separated with one or two here and six there, wondering aimlessly with no officers or leaders to guide them on what to do next. We join Calvin as he leads his small contingent through the South woods, the very same he went through to get to Moe's house, searching for an elusive goon base where he hoped to clop off the head of the demon that started all of this.

It was cold, breath turned to wisps of steam from their nostrils and open mouths. Clad in coats, boots, mittens, and beanies, brandishing wood stakes for weapons, the group moved ever deeper, following cuts of snow made by retreating goons. Only Calvin seemed steadfast in his goal, everyone else followed for fear and protection, fear of an ambush and protection in numbers. It was far different now outside the fort, now, every clearing seemed to mark the site of a battle, one that was never heard and no body would know. Where was Hobbes? He needed those cunning eyes and sharp ears. He was gone, just like the rest. When Calvin jumped the wall, they became separated, perhaps he went somewhere different.

"All right, take a break here" their leader said. The group immediately slumped down in a tight, circular formation, backs resting against trees. Nothing to eat, only ice scooped up and melted in their mouths to quench a heated thirst. Where were they? Calvin was trying to answer that very question. Lacking a map or a compass, he moved ahead, separating himself from his group to try and get his bearings on some sort of land feature. He knew these woods from his countless adventures with Hobbes. He knew that there were no sizable hills, distinguishable trees, or any other land features, just ordinary trees coated in snow cut by many tracks. Turning in one direction, the boy took it, kept on walking till he found something, further removing himself from the group that immediately began to grow worry about his absence. Soon, calls went out to try and locate him. Dense trees prevented those calls from being heard by Calvin, he kept on walking, eventually coming to a clearing.

"Well, now we're getting somewhere," smiling. This field, though,looked rather familiar, and it should. It was the West field of the woods. Just a hundred yards distant was a road that linked Calvin's neighborhood with Moe's. That means now, he should move in the opposite direction if he still wanted to find this base. Bad news also began to set in for Calvin, it was growing dark. Lacking a proper watch, the sky overcast, he took a guess judging by the last time he saw a clock, around 3 in the afternoon prior to his counter attack.

"It's 7:00," coming up with a hasty conclusion. Now, it was time to go back, rejoin the team, and get them moving.

ROAR!

As he turned back to the woods, the group came running past in a panic. Stakes were being smashed, stabbed, and dropped as they ran, one ran directly in Calvin, knocking both down.

"What's going on?" asked Calvin, struggling to remove himself from the heap.

"They're coming!" said a wild defender, eyes filled with terror.

When will they ever stop running? He thought to himself. From all the battles, these kids were still running away without so much as trying to defend themselves. It was a sad state. Laying at his feet was a discarded pole. The boy took it up and began to search for prey. He found one easily, a monster of a goon, six feet tall with branches, several of them, arrayed on his circular head having already pounced on a member of his party, whom flailed about wildly for help. Calvin charged for it, stake firmly in both hands, with a yell, he drove the pole forward, into the gullet of his prey, pressing it till half of it's four foot reach was firmly implanted into the monster. Instead of dying though, the goon back handed Calvin, knocking him down, then removed the pole and set his eyes on him. It all seemed over, so close and yet so far and he was going to go like this. The goon reached for him, a wide mouth open with icicle teeth showed the fate of this brave leader. Sticks fingers tightly bound around Calvin's limp body, he made no effort to resist.

PSSST!

ROAR URRRR MOAN

In a split second, before his very eyes, the goon was blind sided by an unseen force, which unleashed Calvin from his clutches. Collapsing to the ground ever so slowly, moaning like a dying animal, itslowly began to disolve into a hidious puddle of slush, arms in a V shaped formation, reaching for a vaguely clear sky. Flabbergasted, Calvin scooted back, then upright himself, staring blankly at this body.

"Whooh" came a cry.

Looking up, a joyful Hobbes came crashing over the grass in a truck, coming to rest right at the tree line to a very amazed Calvin and his company whom bravely returned having seen their foe being decimated by their reinforcements. It was something completely beyond belief. This truck was not like those parked in Moe's house. It was indeed a salt truck used to spray roads when it snowed. But, where did it come from? Jumping out from the driver's seat, the tiger bounced along up to his friend as several other garrison members disembarked.

"Where did you find that?" asked Calvin, pointing with a naked hand at this machine.

"Easy" smiling, "We found an abandoned salt truck down the road. Took some old hoses and water pumps and mixed that with the salt. Presto. We have salt sprayers. Those goons easy melted underneath our cold power."

"You mean salt water dissolved them?" Calvin asked in disbelief.

"Apparently so"

"Why didn't you say something earlier?" growing infuriated, "You know how many people we could have saved?"

"Hey, don't blame me. I didn't know salt did that."

Cooling off, the group settled about the truck to rest and recount their adventures together. "Once I jumped the wall," said Hobbes to Calvin, "I kept going, but quickly lost sight of you with all those creatures about. I battled with them in fierce hand to hand combat" glaring his teeth and claws to show the temperate of his fight, "when my stake broke from overuse, I used my claws and behead a few, then I realized, I was all alone, so I tried to find the others. But, those darn things ambushed me, causing me to run down a road, away from the neighborhood, and that's where I found the salt truck. Jumping in, they surrounded me on all sides. For my luck, the keys were still in the ignition, started it up, and plowed through them, laughing all the way. I must have drove for fifteen minutes before I found my first person to pick up. We are spread out all over the area."

"No kidding" said Calvin, rolling his eyes then looked back at his pitiful little band, "Did you see Miller or Susie?"

Very softly, almost to himself, "No. After we started, it was every man for himself"

It was very true. From this distance, no one could see if anyone went back to the fort or not. No more specks dotted the North field, there was no more sounds of fighting. Only barren, mowed up snow fields with dead goons strewn all about. Must have been several hundred this day, but those could easy be replaced.

"What did you do when you got the truck?" Calvin asked.

"Well," clearly gloating, "after battling my way through this ambush, I found a quiet spot to stop and think. Taking after you're idea of freezing them. In some abandoned houses, we found some hoses and several large water containers that were strapped down to the truck, filled with water and mixed them with the salt already onboard. Then we took some bike pumps to create the pressure needed in order to spray them."

"Great" exclaimed Calvin, "Now that we have this tank, we can move and pick up the others, find this base, and end the war!"

"Are you still on that base theory?" asked Hobbes.

"It's not a theory, it's the truth. They are out there!"

As this argument was being played out, further deeper into the woods, the goons were still in retreat. Here and there, children, brandishing stakes, would pop out, impaling their adversaries, crying loudly. It was a confusing, running battle in different fields far away from the fort. Some times the goons would win, sometimes the children. Hog pog groups would form up, only to be splintered just minutes afterwards in counter attacks. What finally got the two to stop bickering were the calls of wounded, for help, and for their mothers.

"We have but two dozen with us. The salt truck is empty anyway in both gas and salt, so it's practically useless."

"Drat" Calvin cursed below his breath. It was their heaviest weapon, but he was adamant in find this base, putting down this insurgency. "We go on," he yelled loudly so others could hear. "Stay close, everyone. Keep your eyes open and try to find others along the way." With that, he turned and took the first step.

"How do we find this base?" asked Hobbes at a whisper, "Easy, my friend, just follow those tracks."

Looking down, there were several deep cuts in an otherwise untouched landscape. Goon tracks.

"How do you know they lead to their base?" asking further.

"These goons are growing human emotion" said Calvin, "Notice how they were stunned when we attacked? Well, if that's the case, what do humans or in this case, children, what do they do when they get scared?"

"Pee their pants?"

"No, you lug nut, they run home."

"Aaahhh"

Two hours past, a group probed their way further east, into an ever entrouching forest. It was quiet. Very few clearings, very few chances for them to get their bearings. Every tree looked the same, the only change was an occasional cut of snow or a small creek that both boys wanted to claim for their own, but now wasn't the time to establish territory for G.R.O.S.S. In one clearing, they found several discarded clothes and small amounts of blood, signs of a battle or ambush, but no bodies or survivors. Drag marks indicted that whomever they were, the bodies were taken now towards the South east, which is where the two led their group which moved in a column formation, one person behind the other in close proximity, not more than arms length away from one another. No combat so far, tension relaxed as stakes began to be carried at shoulder arms or casual like instead of alert.

A break finally came for the band. A low moan emanated through the dense woods, sounded like a goon, a wounded one. But, the density of the woods made it impossible to determine it's location. Keep going. Another moan, this time it sounded closer. A cold chill went up everyone's spine. It sounded authoritative, loud, and strong.

"I'll go up ahead and check it out," volunteered Hobbes, "stay here."

Reluctantly agreeing, Calvin motioned for his group to halt and stay out of sight as the tiger darted through the trees and disappeared. Sighing lowly, there was nothing more Calvin could do but wait for his return. In his mind, so numb by cold, he began to calculate a plan of action if this was indeed the goon base. That darn goon, the very first he created. If it wasn't for that magic, none of this would have happened. But, he had no way in knowing it would be evil. Then again, when did any such creation be made by his hand ever work properly?

Several tense minutes passed until Hobbes returned, and he was full of joy and regret. "I found what may be that base of yours" trembling slightly.

"Great"

"Not great"

"Not great?"

"Yes, the area is crawling with those creatures. There has to be a hundred of them, if not more. Plus, they are making more of them as we speak, but I think I saw their leader."

Saying this brought all eyes, nervous and surprised, onto Hobbes. If he was right, then the whole theory was true. Was it the queen? Their leader? Would killing it be the last of their colony, this insurrection. Hope so.

"Good. Good," said Calvin, rubbing his numb hands together, "Then we move fast, kill it then it will all be over."

"Just how do you suppose we do that?"

No catapults, no heavy weapons this time, it would have to come down to trickery, deception, and sheer courage for the children to hurtle this obstacle. What was the plan? Looking over his small group, Calvin began to devised a simple, yet ingenious plan to throw off the goon and allow the opportunity to strike their jugular. From their vantage point, looking through fallen branches from a small rise, the children could see this base of sorts. A small dome shaped hill, not much in elevation, not much to it, but moving all about was true to Hobbes's foretelling. A hundred wounded and mobile goons, hustling about madly, rebuilding others and building walls for defense. Somewhere in there, among the others, was the leader. It was easy to single it out for it wore a dawned a war bonnet of sticks on it's head, the very same that Hobbes saw in the clearing near Peach Hill.

"This is it, we have to strike before they have those numbers again."

But how? From this vantage point, Calvin could see a cut made by a creek skirting just below the base of the hill, rather out of sight, covered by more fallen branches. If he were to take a good portion of his people there, to start throwing stones or whatever, to take a lot of heat, then another group could slip behind them and possibly take out their leader. Sounded easy. Whom would do it? All eyes fell on Calvin, begging quietly for direction. The temperature was freezing, and steadily declining by the minute, it needed to happen now if at all.

"Let's do it. Who's with me?"

To their surprise, all raised their shaky hands.

"Good, Hobbes, you take most of these people into the creek. When I give you the signal, do whatever is necessary to draw their attention away from us. Once we see you have don so, we will attack, and so will you."

Hobbes took mental note of all this, then worked his way through the throng of children, selecting those he had chosen to go with him. Quietly, the moved out, skirting around the goon camp as quiet as church mice, coming into the dry creek, still in sight of Calvin and his bunch. There was plenty of stone there, enough to hold against their number for some time. Moments passed, everyone held their breath, waiting for a signal to begin their decimating, distracting fire.

Now it was time, Calvin waved his beanie, thus allowing his tiger to stand upright from his entrenchment, bellow the full content of his lungs, and begin heaving stone after stone into a surprised foe. Others joined up, unleashing powerful, destructive volleys at close range, ripping many apart. Slowly, surely, the behemoths began to turn their full force against Hobbes, the suppose leader well behind them, directing their attack with pointed arms and authoritative moans. There was still too many in the camp for Calvin to attack, he had to wait some more for Hobbes was taking more and more away, but already, the numbers were staking up against him. No telling how much longer that tiger and his team could hold out. Rocks were plentiful, but they couldn't hurl enough to take them down. It was back to their first battle. Goons were already dying at their feet. Occassionally, one would jump into the creek, amongst the group, but was quickly eliminated by impaling stakes. Taking care of one was completely irrelevant to a hundred advancing others. Sifting through the snow, Hobbes found another stone, selected a target, and beamed it through the head. Another one down. Another one was brought up, Hobbes took a glance to Calvin's direction. He still hasn't moved yet.. Quietly cursing to himself, he muttered, "Come on, darn you." to have him attack already or they will witness Hobbes be overwhelmed.

Calvin was ready to attack, just waiting for the very last moment before taking firm hold of hiss stake, bounding overbrush and yelled for a charge in a high pitched, nasal voice. Without a moment's hesitation, with laughter and jeers, others began to clammer over, trying to keep apace with Calvin, whom took off, not bothering to look to see if anyone was close. Everyone else that jumped the fall limbs became entangled in them, fought to free themselves, then tried to catch up, by then, Calvin was far ahead, already intermixed with the enemy whom were again taken by surprise. Beating heads in on the run, Calvin had only one goal, to get to that one goon and drive this stake straight through it's head. Through the heart wouldn't do it, the head, have to take the head. Left and right, goons came to try and take him up in their arms, but the boy was too fast, dodging their every attempt with jives and spurts of speed, leaving them to be taken care of by his companions. Finally, he saw it, the war bonnet wearer, just fifteen feet away, unaware of his approach. It must be occupied by the battle with Hobbes to notice. Just a few feet, closer he came, the stake was elevated higher to stab the head. Yelling high, Calvin drove the stake home, right through the right base of the head, then jabbed it clear through till the tip emerged from the opposite crown of the head. Clutching the stake still, Calvin stopped and looked up at this goon, whom did not fall. Instead, to his horror, the goon laughed in a haunting, deep, echoing cackle, then backhanded the boy. What had happened?

"This can't be happening!" exclaiming loudly above the battle around him. Why wasn't it dead? A stake impaled it's head from side to side, yet it still moved, unfazed. In a stunning act, the goon removed Calvin's stake, and broke it above it's had with both hands. "This can't be happening!"

Those witnessing were frozen in their tracks as goons began to surround them. Why wasn't it dead? Did it evolve in some way to a far superior being? Couldn't have. It was just snow and sticks.

"That's all you are!" yelled Calvin, "You're nothing but snow and sticks! I created you, and I can destroy you!" The cat was out of the bag. What did he say? He created that thing? All of this was caused by Calvin? Struggling up to his feet once more, the boy jumped onto the beast, pounding his fists into it's body, trying to disassemble it by hand. By that time, Hobbes found his way out the creek, against superior numbers, using his claws to slash heads off left and right. The more he took off, the more invigorating it felt to him. The end was so close, he could taste the sweetness of victory, if only he could cover the last few yards to get up there to Calvin and help him in his hand to hand combat. Numbers were rapidly being depleted, the goons, whom just a week before, were tyrants, were now just a scattered bunch trying to stay alive. This they failed, in a daring charge, the children finished off the last few in personal hand to hand combat, impaling each one through the head. Breaking away from this violence, Hobbes sought to help Calvin, whom was losing in his battle. The goon ripped the boy off his flesh like a tick and flung him a good distance causing some bruising, but he wasn't prepared for the tiger, whom jumped and lashed onto it's ugly face. Slashing wildly, screaming like a banshee, knocking off pieces of the bonnet along with hunks of flesh, it appeared that he was winning until he to, the tiger, was shrugged off, violently. Grrr. "I have had it with you! Just die!" Calvin screamed, taking up rocks, sticks, anything he could get his hands on and began hurling them at the goon, all the while, gradually closing their distance. The goon turned it's full attention to Calvin, forgetting that there were other humans around it. It was a personal fight until...

"Just die! BAM BAM BAM!"

From all sides, rocks, sticks, snow, logs, an avalanche of debris came crashing down. Fighting them off, the goon tried to make a getaway, but to no avail, there was no where for it to go, not this time Game wa up. A hunk of it's head was gone, both limbs, it's army. Everything, gone. Enough was taken for the goon to finally fall on it's back, moaning as a dying whale, hoping that one of it's kind will hear it. None came. Calvin approached this wounded creature, everyone else stood at a distance, taking it for a trap. A beast is more vicious once it has been wounded. Taking up a fellow's stake, he stood right at it's side, watching his creation slowly slipping away.

Clutching his weapon tightly in both hands, the boy smiled, eyes full of mischief, anger, and satisfaction at his once proud creation. "I got you this time," with a smirk before taking one end of his stake, holding it high above it's head. It tried to move, get away or defend, but Calvin stopped all that with one mighty quickstab that separating it's head. For a moment, there was silence, then a great rush of energy that last but a moment. It came from that goon, clear, like a gust of wind, and when subsided, there was nothing but a heap of snow left in it's wake. Calvin threw down his weapon, sighing lowly as he surveyed the field of battle. Children were the only ones left standing in this one.It was over. At last, it was all over. Yet, no one cheered. Instead, Hobbes looked at all those grizzled faces, bleached by exposure, panting from exhaustion, hungry, thirsty, and youth. No celebration from them.

Not feeling like a conquering hero, Calvin stood beside this heap, looking at his friend, Hobbes just yards away. A smile came to both their faces, "Let's go home."

It was another hour of hard marching before the group emerged from the woods, not at Calvin's home, but at Moe's where everyone, it seems, had returned. Miller, Moe, Susie, Billy, everyone, including some older faces, Mortimer and O' Rourke greeted Calvin's party out on the front yard, where the corpses of many battles had accumulated. Walking casually at first, the boy began to pick up his pace when he saw all of those faces, perhaps his parents were among them. Greeting them first, Miller shouted, "Hurrah for our leader!"

Cheers broke out, Hobbes basked in it's glory as Calvin sought to gather information. Calvin asked, "Where did you find them?" referring to all those new people.

Miller exclaimed, "It was the most amazing thing. A gust of wind hit us just an hour ago, then we found these rag of muffins wondering around in the fields. They have no recollection on how they got there, or what has happened in the past few days."

Amazing.

"We haven't seen a goon as well. Just heaps. Are they all dead?" asked at Miller's right side.

"That's because it's all over," replied Calvin.

"What is?" several asked.

"The war. It's over. We killed the queen."

"The queen?" came several whispers.

"Yes, we killed the queen, then the whole army died as a result. The war is over."

A moments hesitation came before Billy, clutching his tattered colors, asked, "What do we do now?"

"Go home," Calvin smiled.

Rather stern about it caused an unsettling riff to occur to his comrades. Go home? They could go home? To what though? Some houses were obliterated. What about their parents. If Mortimer and his band turned up, then they would as well. Moe had his home, Miller and Billy needed to walk to there's and that was a good distance away, so they better get going before the sun set. The grand garrison, slowly, quietly, began to flake off as it began to sink in that their long ordeal was finally over. One by one, everyone began to leave. Billy began his travel, paused halfway down the sidewalk before returning to ask Calvin if he wanted his colors back.

"No," replied Calvin, "you protected it for this long, keep protecting it a little longer." Smiling wildly, Billy shook the hands of his leader then turned, and walked away.

Susie stuck with Calvin, Hobbes, and Miller as Moe went dormant in his cave as the remaining garrison began to shrink. By the end of the hour, all that was left was Miller. It seemed so, unceremonial. Calvin could picture all of their faces, all their events were a blur, but their faces were etched in his mind. Mortimer said nothing to him before leaving, going back to his pampered life, either did O' Rourke. Seems Moe rather liked getting back his house, shutting them out without another word. Inside came clatter of furniture being moved about. Time to get back to regular life.

It came down to just Miller. "Well, buddy, guess this is it" slow to give it all up.

"Yes, I reckon it is" Miller smiled back.

"It was nice, considering what we went through"

"Yes, perhaps we'll see each other again"

"Yes, perhaps" he said that knowing full well that it was just an attempt to heal an open heart. He wasn't going to see Miller or any of his cronies again. The war was over, everyone was going their own way, back home to continue their lives, it was all uncertain. A lot of rebuilding was forth coming, lives needed to be remade.

"Well, we best be going" offering his extended hand which Calvin grasped tightly.

"I'll see you around. Take it easy"

"You too" rather reluctant to answer. With that, Miller turned and began to walk. Fellows behind and flanking all followed, beginning the long walk home. Moe and Susie watched this bunch disband, it was a sad moment indeed. Their great army that thwarted one over a hundred times it's size was now down to only a dozen.

"It's time to go home" announced Susie with tears in her eyes.

"Yes," Calvin replied quietly.

Turning the road onto their neighborhood, they found the remains of battle. Wreckage was strewn here and there, homes were in dilapidated conditions, articles of clothing littered where people once were from the very beginning. Despite being home, no one felt elated. Each home was touched in some way. One by one, the last of the army began to break off. Some said good byes, others removed themselves quietly, approaching their homes. Calvin had only one goal on his mind, to get to his home with Hobbes. One by one, dwindling all the way down, finally it came down to just three. Susie's house came up. Remnants of those ice walls were still there. Bitter memories.

"This is my stop" said Susie. Calvin and Hobbes stopped to watch her. Neither one wanted to stay outside another minute, but Susie had something to say to them.

"I...I...just wanted to say thank you for all you have done," almost breaking down to tears.

"Not a problem" Calvin muttered, shrugging off this act of kindness.

"What will happen to us now?" she asked them.

"Not sure" Hobbes said, "But we need to start some where."

Quietly nodding her head, Susie looked at her house, and quietly, slowly, approached it. Front door hung by a hinge, snow covered the welcome rug, and branches reached out from the snow around her like zombies coming out from a horror movie. Both boys watched her as she stepped in, sighed, and disappeared.

"Well, ol' buddy, now it's just us" Calvin sighed.

"Yes"

Both remembered all their friends, buddies, comrades. Some were lost, others were maimed, but most pulled through.

Resuming their walk, Calvin asked Hobbes, "Ever thought about what would happen if we decided to just leave the neighborhood?"

"Yes, I have. But, then the goons would have spread, possibly taking over the whole county. You should feel fortunate though, if it wasn't for your brazen attack and defense, we would all be placed in those prison pens, or worse."

"If it wasn't for your catapults and weapons, we would have been killed several times." Both boys smiled at each other, it took both of their efforts in mind and wits in order to quell this insurrection.

As they finally came up to his house, Calvin took a look at it. Not much damage compared to others. Doors were open and window panes smashed.

"So good to be home" both sighed. Stepping in, their feet sloshed through chunks of ice and puddles of water. Carpets were drenched in dead goons, sticks were everywhere, a sign of a fierce struggle that they have endured and that most would not understand. A great clean was needed. Even though the house was full, it seemed empty. Where wer his parents? Mom and Dad. Where they taken during the war? Hopefully not. Calvin didn't want to go to an orphanage. Hobbes began to quietly remove nails and boards from these old barricades as Calvin rearranged furniture to the way it was. Before, both thought that with the ending of this war, there would be much celebration. Parades with banners, parties, and women. Not this one. Most would not know of this war that turned out on their very door steps. It wasn't against any human foe, but snow men, of all things, what children build with corn cob pipes and slouch hats. Few hours past, the door was fixed and the windows were covered to prevent a cold breeze from entering. Resting in the chair, Calvin tried to relax and watch t.v as Hobbes, finding his journal upstairs came down to take missing notes on previous events. Working together, they began to draw up their life story, what went through their minds as they were faced against goons when there came a squeal of tires coming up the drive way. Who could it be?

Walking up to the window, Calvin became amazed. "Mom! Dad!" and raced for the door. Opening the door with such jubilation, the boy stunned his parents, allowing him to jump into their arms in welcoming them back.

"Hi?" said his mom, disturbed, "You're acting like you haven't seen us for a year."

"Close. It's been over a week"

"I know, you should have seen what happened in the city. A freak snow storm shut down all the highways getting out of the city, and it knocked out all of the telephone lines, we couldn't contact you, nor anyone else in the neighborhood. But we knew you could handle yourself for this time."

"Yes," said dad, "you really proved yourself by taking care of the place all by yourself. What did you do?"

"Oh nothing" speaking coyly, being set back down on the floor, "Just hung out here, watched t.v. Nothing important."

"Good. Well, Uncle Max had to go home, but he says hi. Now, help us unload the car. We went shopping to refill the refrigerator."

Loathing such an experience, Calvin did as he was told, for once, taking in bags of eggplants and peas as his parents went in. Setting down the groceries in a tidied up kitchen, Calvin observed his passive parents, whom never noticed what had happened in their home in their absence. Perhaps it was for the best. Returning to the television, Calvin slumped in his chair, Hobbes nearby still jotting down in the note book. It was the first peace they had in over a week.

"So good to be home" he thought.

Dad cried out, "Hey, who tracked in ice and snow into the house? And who busted the window?"

"Grrrrrrrrr, darn goons"

The End


End file.
